Ayan Kumar's Blog

California’s Controversial Bill1840

As talks of illegal immigration across the United States border continues to increase, federal and local governments continue to attempt to approach this. Earlier this summer, we saw talks of allowing undocumented individuals vote in US elections, which was eventually rejected. Now, California is taking action to support undocumented immigrants.

Assembly Bill 1840 would provide up to $150,000 in down payment assistance to undocumented immigrant home buyers, making California the first state to offer such aid. In addition to the $150,000, Assembly Bill 1840 allows undocumented immigrants to access California’s taxpayer-funded home loan program, which is typically reserved for first-time homebuyers. The bill aims to expand homeownership opportunities for undocumented individuals, potentially increasing the applicant pool for the state’s housing assistance programs. Though supported by Democrats with a supermajority in both chambers of Congress, the final decision is up to Governor Gavin Newsom.

With this comes controversy on both sides of the political spectrum. Proponents, mainly Democrats, argue that this bill helps undocumented immigrants achieve homeownership, creating more equitable access to housing opportunities through inclusivity. They believe it addresses housing affordability challenges and supports vulnerable communities, fostering economic stability for all residents. However, critics, mainly Republicans, contend that the bill prioritizes undocumented immigrants over citizens, including military veterans, who are also struggling to afford homes. They argue that it worsens California’s housing crisis through increased competition for limited resources and adds financial strain on taxpayers, especially in light of the state’s budget deficit.

This bill represents a shift in public policy towards inclusivity and equity in housing access, reflecting a broader trend of attempting to recognize rights of undocumented immigrants. However, this bill reveals the underlying tension supporting vulnerable populations and ensuring that legal residents are not overlooked in public policy initiatives.

Murder of Kolkata Doctor & Its Implications

As violence against women remains a global issue, discussions about safety, justice, and societal responsibility are prompted. The recent tragic case of a doctor’s brutal murder in India has amplified these conversations, serving as a reminder of the urgent need for change.

On August 9, 2024, a 31-year-old trainee doctor was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata. This triggered nationwide protests, as tens of thousands of Indian citizens demanded justice and greater protection for women. Vigils, marches, and a nationwide strike by medical professionals highlight the urgent need for a federal law to ensure the safety of healthcare workers. Not only does this incident prompt calls for accountability, but it has also broadened the conversation to violence against women in the country.

Following public outcry, the Kolkata High Court transferred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 13, due to concerns over evidence preservation and hospital administration failures. The situation escalated on August 14 when unidentified individuals attacked peaceful protesters, injuring several medical professionals and highlighting the urgent demand for justice and protective legislation for healthcare workers. India has also tried to remedy these issues through actions like The Federal Health Minister assuring doctors that strict measures would be implemented to improve safety. However, the culprit for these crimes has yet to be found.

This situation highlights the systemic issues related to violence against women and worker safety. Neutral public policies should focus on strengthening legal frameworks to protect victims, implementing workplace safety regulations, and establishing monitoring and accountability mechanisms in hospitals. Engaging with professional associations and communities is essential to create a supportive community that prioritizes the safety and well-being of healthcare workers.

Annual Wildfires in Greece

Though beautiful, Greece is notorious for its annual wildfires. Every summer, there is another wildfire, and this year proves to be one of the worst this country has faced.

Beginning to spread into the suburbs of Athens after ignited in the northern fringes of the capital, the fires have forced thousands of residents and tourists to evacuate, as the fires have been fueled by extreme heat and dry conditions. Due to the Mediterranean climate– combination of dry summers, strong winds, and flammable vegetation– Greece is highly susceptible to wildfires.

The fact that this year is the worst wildfire Greece has faced emphasizes that issues surrounding climate change continue to exacerbate. Though climate change is worsening worldwide, Greece needs to implement public policy practices specific to their own country to hopefully mitigate these wildfires. Global practices will not be as helpful to them as domestic ones could be.

This could be seen by Greece updating building codes to mandate fire-resistant materials and designs, especially in vulnerable areas. Current agricultural practices could also be improved by promoting controlled burns and regular clearing of vegetation around homes and fields to reduce fuel loads. Additionally, the government could implement stricter regulations on illegal land clearing and promote community-based programs for maintaining firebreaks and creating defensible space around properties, ensuring that residents are actively involved in wildfire prevention efforts.

Story of D’Vontaye Mitchell

When Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd in 2020 through asphyxiation (deprivation of oxygen), there was lots of backlash and protests, prompting society to believe that the public outcry and national reckoning would ensure that the use of dangerous restraint methods would never happen again. With this background, the story of D’Vontaye Mitchell is even more shocking and disheartening.

D’Vontaye Mitchell ran through a Milwaukee Hyatt Hotel, entered a women’s bathroom, and was dragged out by off-duty security guard Brandon Turner after a brief struggle. As Turner punched Mitchell multiple times, three other hotel employees joined him in, holding Mitchell face down for eight to nine minutes. Despite Mitchell’s repeated pleas for help and signs of breathing distress, the employees continued to restrain him until police arrived.

However, Mitchell later died, and the autopsy revealed the cause of death to be “restraint asphyxia.” Though the autopsy acknowledged Mitchell’s obese nature and ingestion of cocaine and methamphetamine, they stated that he would have survived if he had been allowed to turn onto his side during his interaction with the security. As a result, the employees were fired from the hotel management and are being charged with felony murder.

This incident reflects the ongoing issues of social injustice, particularly in the disproportionate use of force against Black individuals. Harmful restraint methods and excessive force continue to be applied, often with fatal consequences. In public policy, it is essential to strike a balance between ensuring public safety and upholding ethical standards, safeguarding both security and the dignity of individuals. To prevent this from happening again, a potential public policy approach could be implementing standardized de-escalation protocols and training for all security personnel, ensuring they are equipped to manage high-stress situations without resorting to excessive force.

Hottest Day Ever

Climate change continues to impact our world, despite numerous efforts made to tackle it. As you may have read on my blog at the beginning of 2024, 2023 was reported the hottest year experienced. Seeing this, I thought that we could progress as a world on a unified front. I thought wrong.

Sunday July 21st, 2024, is the hottest day on record that the planet has seen, clocking in at 62.76°F (17.09°C). Sunday’s milestone coincided with several countries enduring prolonged and severe heatwaves. Across the US, about a hundred cities are facing their hottest start to summer ever recorded, while southern Europe grapples with triple-digit temperatures. Abnormal heat in significant areas of Antarctica has shown to be contributing to the sudden increase in global temperatures. The rapid warming of this expansive icy landmass is concerning scientists, particularly because of its potential to accelerate catastrophic sea level rise.

This record is especially concerning as El Niño is approaching its cool season. El Niño can influence global temperatures by redistributing heat across the Pacific Ocean. During El Niño, warm surface waters spread eastward across the central and eastern Pacific, altering atmospheric circulation patterns. This can lead to increased global temperatures due to changes in cloud cover, precipitation patterns, and atmospheric circulation, affecting weather systems worldwide. However, we are in the opposite right now. Cold El Niño emphasizes the significance of this hottest day.

Overall, this hottest day needs to be recognized and realized of the true meaning. If leading countries come on a united front to tackle this issue, we can make progress. With plans like the EU’s plans and upcoming meetings like COP-26, we may be able to see some new progressive trends.

Trump Shot, Biden Dropped: What is happening with the 2024 Presidential Election?

The 2024 Presidential Election is quite a controversial one, with Republicans and Democrats battling it out against each other. There are some recent events that need to be covered to truly understand the course of this election.

First, on Jul 14,2024 at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Donald Trump (republican nominee) faced an assassination attempt. At the rally, there was a man (identified to be a 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks) posted up atop a building with a rifle. Firing at Trump and the crowd, Crooks killed one rally attendee, put two in critical conditions, and injured Trump, piercing Trump’s ear. Upon the shots being fired, Secret Service officials killed Crooks. Regardless of people’s political beliefs, people have recognized this event as a tragedy, viewing that an assassination attempt to a former president and presidential candidate is a stance against democracy.

However, people have made theories regarding the shooting. Some right-wing lawmakers and individuals believe that the Democratic party organized the shooting against Trump. Opposingly, some Democrats believe that the Republican party organized this effort to make the Democratic party look bad, since the shooter was a registered Republican.

This shooting was a major event in the road of the election, and more are continuing to happen! Donald Trump announced his running-mate for this election, JD Vance—Republican Senator from Ohio. This choice is also being viewed as an interesting move, considering that Vance has been a senator for one-year and has made comments in the past regarding Trump, calling him the “Hitler of our Time.” However, he seems to be far right winged, with many conservative views; therefore, being supported by the Republican party but opposed by Democrats.

Additionally, President Joseph Biden and nominee for this upcoming election has recently dropped out of the race. With many concerns for his ability to run for president, namely from his performance in the presidential debate, this move was predicted by many, with 20+ Democrats in US Congress calling for him to drop. This had led to current Vice-president Kamala Harris to take the presidential Democrat nomination, with still no named vice president to her yet.

Overall, a lot is going on with this election, seeming to be more than any past election. It is important to understand everything on both sides of these situations to decide your stance and make a vote. Each vote matters! Voting is an effective form of public policy that we as citizens have to influence the structure of our government.

New Climate Plan in Europe

Throughout history, fossil fuels have been indispensable for industrial efficiency but have concurrently posed a significant threat to climate stability due to their greenhouse gas emissions. Despite their role in driving economic growth, their environmental impact remains a pressing concern in the global effort to combat climate change.

Recently, Europe announced a 9-year-plan to stay away from fossil fuels. The plans additionally include the elimination of sales of new gas- and diesel-powered cars, which is beneficial for the environment since these cars have significance greenhouse gas emissions when driven. The European Commission is attempting to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% in 2030 when compared to 1990. Though ambitious, the plan could significantly alter the influence of climate change.

These decisions put pressure on America and China, as they are both large contributors to emissions. However, Democrats in Congress are taking initial steps toward a carbon border tax (which is what the EU has). China, country with largest amount of emissions, predicted that emissions would peak by 2030, putting them in pressure to bring that number down as Europe is going to be reducing emissions significantly by then.

This plan has lots of support from an environment lens but is frowned from the economic perspective. This new plan centers around increased carbon prices and taxes on imports of goods from outside the EU. Countries with not as extreme climate regulations may become upset in a trading manner with the EU, causing widespread global trade disputes.

Overall, the EU is enacting these plans as a form of public policy to battle implications of climate change. Though the plan may be successful, there are economic and political concerns regarding their relationship with other countries. With events like COP-26 coming up and other global meetings, this will allow more conversation and policy to be made to hopefully achieve an agreeable solution with a sustainable environment

Mandatory Bible Lessons

The Constitution has been the forefront of American law. This document has been used to outline our rights as citizens, justify Supreme Court decisions, and shape American legal and government frameworks. Our first amendment rights are most notable and known, with citizens granted the freedom of speech, press, religion, etc. Today, we’ll be focusing on the freedom of religion, specifically the Establishment Clause within the First Amendment, stating that no official national/state religion can be established. However, a recent controversy has come.

Recently, all Oklahoma and Louisiana public schools are now required to incorporate the Bible and the Ten Commandments in their curriculums, effective immediately.

In past Supreme Court cases like Engel v. Vitale (1962), school-sponsored prayers were deemed unconstitutional in violation of the Establishment Clause. Many opponents of this recent decision of Louisiana and Oklahoma cite this as evidence that mandating Bible lessons in public schools is another Constitutional violation. A group of Louisiana parents and civil rights organizations are suing the state over the new law, arguing that true religious freedom means no one religion imposes their views on all Americans.

Proponents, such as the state’s chief education officer, argue that the Bible is a foundational document from the birth of this country. They believe that it is necessary to teach kids of our history, with the Bible being an influential part of that history.

With this creating much controversy, it is likely that this case will be brought to the Supreme Court, where they’ll decide the constitutionality of Oklahoma and Louisiana’s laws. Since the Supreme Court is the ‘supreme’ law of the land, this is the best public policy that can be made to this situation. It is plausible that they could follow precedent case like Engel v. Vitale, but it is not certain. Time will have to tell the fate of these mandatory lessons.

SCOTUS Ruling Regarding 2nd Amendment

The second amendment– the right to bear arms– has remained controversial since the day the Constitution was birthed. Proponents argue that it guarantees the fundamental right to self-defense and protects against government tyranny. Opponents contend that it leads to increased gun violence and that reasonable regulations are necessary to ensure public safety. The debate often centers on differing interpretations of the amendment’s original intent and its applicability in modern society, where mass shootings are more than common. As of today (June 22, 2024), there have been more shootings than days of the year, which especially adds to concerns regarding gun violence.

The Supreme Court recently ruled 8-1 that individuals under domestic-violence restraining orders can be prohibited from owning guns, upholding a 1994 federal law. This decision came in the case of Zackey Rahimi, who continued violent behavior despite a restraining order. The case tested the conservative majority’s new interpretation of the Second Amendment, which emphasizes historical context for modern regulations. Chief Justice Roberts noted that historical practices did include measures to prevent dangerous individuals from accessing weapons, supporting the idea that such regulations align with Second Amendment principles. Justice Thomas dissented, arguing that no historical laws justified disarming individuals without a felony conviction.

This ruling signals that contemporary public safety concerns can influence gun regulations, potentially facilitating the survival of measures like background checks and red-flag laws against constitutional challenges. With the increase in mass shootings in recent history, this ruling serves as an example of an effective public policy attempting to better societal conditions.