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| Crouching Panda, Hidden Dragon: Contesting Chinese Subversion in the Middle East |
| Posted on Wednesday, April 23 @ 00:00:22 PDT (8 reads) | |
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Editor’s note: this article is being republished with the permission of small wars journal as part of a republishing arrangement between iwi and swj. The original article was published on 03.28.2025 and is available here .
abstract the people’s republic of china (prc) presents itself as a gentle panda to obfuscate its global predatory behavior. But hiding inside the prc’s panda suit is a dragon seeking to prey on the central region as a core political and economic axis for its neocolonial aspirations. Unfortunately, the singular u.S. Focus on taiwan enables the prc to capture global strategic geography and human terrain beyond the indo-pacific, specifically through its belt and road initiative. To comprehensively shape prc decision calculus over taiwan and other areas of u.S. National interest, the united states must exploit outsized gray zone deterrence opportunities via irregular warfare in the middle east and central asia. This counter-predation campaign would deny the prc the access and influence it seeks to gain by raising the costs of its exploitative activities and strengthening partners against entanglements that usurp sovereign decision-making. As such, irregular warfare offers multiple ways to contribute to deterrence by denial —the cornerstone of pending undersecretary for policy elbridge colby’s taiwan strategy , manifesting through cognitive and financial vectors alongside traditional military capabilities.
pandas, dragons, and irregular deterrence—oh my! With their charming appearance, gentle demeanor, and playful behavior, pandas are adored worldwide. The people’s republic of china (prc) deceptively uses this disarming motif to present itself as a gentle giant while obfuscating its global predatory, neocolonial behavior. But hiding inside the prc’s cheap panda suit is a red dragon seeking to prey on the middle east and central asia. Unfortunately, the singular u.S. Focus on taiwan creates blinders enabling the prc to “securitize its greater periphery” by capturing strategic geography and human terrain globally beyond the indo-pacific. To comprehensively shape prc decision calculus over taiwan and other areas of u.S. National interest, the united states must exploit outsized gray zone deterrence opportunities via irregular warfare in the central region . Otherwise, bureaucratic and cognitive stovepipes will impede application of a true trans-regional approach to “integrating” deterrence as u.S. National defense and security strategies call for.
forgotten in america’s shift away from counterterrorism, the central region remains a core political and economic axis for the prc’s belt and road initiative (bri) to connect asia to europe. Beijing exploits access and influence opportunities along the bri through economic statecraft with military implications —opened by perceptions of declining u.S. Engagement and loss of credibility . Whether through “ strategic fulcrums ” like the united arab emirates or via states under massive debt distress like tajikistan, the prc can wield significant ideological, economic, and political power on the global stage. Today, we see the prc increasing its role in regional peace, security, and diplomacy , while trade with the region has more than tripled over the past 20 years. As the world’s largest crude oil importer, the people’s republic sources 46% of its oil from the middle east. To wit—the prc is truly beginning to “win the middle east” at the expense of u.S. National security.
to enhance deterrence—“integrated” or otherwise—the united states must approach the middle east and central asia as a focal point for shaping beijing’s decision calculus in both daily competition campaigning and any crisis-driven taiwan contingency. The central region is fertile ground for a counter-predation campaign that would deny the prc the benefits it seeks to gain—by illuminating its exploitative activities and strengthening partners against entanglements with the prc that usurp sovereign decision-making. Irregular warfare offers multiple ways to contribute to deterrence by denial —the cornerstone of pending undersecretary for policy elbridge colby’s taiwan strategy , that manifest through cognitive and financial vectors alongside traditional military capabilities.
all under heaven, or one chinese belt and road? When chinese communist party (ccp) general secretary xi jinping introduced the one belt, one road in 2013 —known in english as the more disarming belt and road initiative—he claimed a goal to promote peace, regional connections, and economic integration. However, in practice, the bri is less about altruistic outreach than expanding china’s worldwide economic and political power, and along with it, coercive and anti-sovereign influences. Though china advertises the bri as benign, it is part of its strategy to supersede the united states as the world’s leading superpower by 2049 and make the world more conducive for autocracy. Fundamentally, the bri is a mechanism of predatory economic colonialism that facilitates global encirclement of the west.
the prc’s self-serving activities demonstrate—like the ancient tributary system of the warring states period—that the people’s republic is attempting to make all roads once again lead to beijing.
the ccp’s dominant master narrative is a romanticized version of china as zh?Ngguó (“ central kingdom ”). This narrative stems from china’s rich history and cultural heritage, and its adherents believe their civilization to be superior to all others. Beginning with the han dynasty (206 bc–ad 220), ancient china led a feudal system of vassal states where the central kingdom was the center of the world, and its leader—the “son of heaven”—ruled the known world. States in the central kingdom’s orbit paid tribute to the chinese emperor while recognizing chinese civilizational superiority. This imperial worldview is encapsulated in the ancient cultural concept of ti?N xià —“ all under heaven . ”
however, this master narrative maintains that since the first opium war (1839–1842), foreign imperial nations forced china to succumb to economic and political domination such as the 99-year lease of hong kong to britain and macau to the portuguese. Beijing seeks to end that perceived ignominy, which it calls a “century of humiliation” (1839–1949), and gradually reclaim its rightful place as the dominant global power. To this end, ccp leaders have followed a chinese idiom combining confucian benevolence with the brutality of the warring states period (481–403 bc): wài róu, nèi g?Ng (“ be outwardly benevolent, but inwardly ruthless ”). Thus, few in the west suspected that the prc is not the gentle panda it claims to be.
encircle to win the people’s republic maintains investments in or ownership of approximately 129 foreign ports around the world, processing nearly two-thirds of the world’s container traffic. These global port ventures are clustered around major trade routes and strategic maritime chokepoints—like the bab al-mandab strait and strait of hormuz, that allow access to the middle east. Additionally, the prc has six port facilities around the world confirmed for both commercial and military use—such as djibouti and gwadar .
beijing envisions the world as a wéi qí (“ encircling game ”) board game that involves surrounding one’s opponent. Former secretary of state henry kissinger observed that the united states instead approaches china like playing chess. In kissinger’s view , chess teaches the player singlemindedness, whereas the wéi qí player learns strategic flexibility [ironically, it was kissinger’s foreign policy efforts during the nixon administration that led to the united states becoming economically entangled with the prc]. Chinese thought thus cultivates achieving victory through psychological advantage rather than direct conflict.
the prc’s economic practices, global acquisitions, and access to strategic overland routes, ports, and sea lanes harken to the wéi qí strategy whereby beijing uses the bri to encircle the united states and its allies and partners to supplant the post-world war ii, u.S.-Led international order. Ultimately, this strategy conforms to the sun tzu axiom that “to subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.”
prc debt-trap diplomacy “debt-trap diplomacy” involves a creditor country extending debt—which is difficult or impossible to repay due to high interest, to a borrowing nation solely to increase the lender’s political leverage. The west has been concerned for years that beijing is pursuing this predatory lending practice (bri loans are as high as 33%) to extort political support from its borrowers by fostering economic dependency .
first, the prc does not support sustainable and transparent lending practices . According to analysis of one hundred bri contracts , many contain non-disclosure agreements that obfuscate implementation details—counter to globally accepted norms. Second, the prc employs widespread use of the “no paris club” clause , which expressly prohibits borrowing nations from restructuring outstanding debts to the prc in coordination with paris club creditors. Thus, prc state-owned banks have positioned themselves as preferred creditors exempt from restructuring, outside the influence of the western-dominated banking system. Finally, prc contracts give lenders discretionary authority to cancel loans or demand full repayment . Therefore, bri contractual terms afford prc lenders an avenue for unduly influencing the domestic and foreign policies of the borrower.
beijing’s intransigence on debt restructuring and lack of transparency make it more difficult for borrowers to negotiate debt relief . Based on prc activity in africa, where numerous countries are saddled with debt in return for economic partnerships with beijing, some characterize the bri as “opportunistic mercantilism .” The prc’s predatory lending tactics allow beijing to negotiate debt relief on its own terms, the results of which have facilitated prc global superpower ambitions by accruing strategic dual-use port and land rights as collateral.
implications for the central region the central region is a critical axis for the prc’s belt and road to connect asia to europe. The bri must pass through two areas in particular—the central and south asia (casa) region and the gulf states—to be most lucrative for beijing’s strategic aims. These areas are subject to vulnerabilities driven by the need for foreign investment and the perception of declining u.S. Engagement. This allows the prc to play a role like one played by victorian britain and tsarist russia in the 19 th century—in the original “great game.”
the prc’s “new great game” in central asia in the casa region, multiple countries—among them tajikistan, kyrgyzstan, and pakistan—are facing “debt distress” after accepting billions of dollars in loans from beijing with initially low interest rates. Central asian states owe a large percentage of their national debt to the prc: tajikistan (52%), kyrgyzstan (45%), turkmenistan (16.9%), uzbekistan (16%), and kazakhstan (6.5%). The prc exploits corrupt politicians within those governments who often pocketed borrowed funds to enrich themselves to secure deals favorable to the people’s republic. Beijing eventually increased those rates, which many governments were unable to repay. When recipient countries balked at prc demands, beijing leveraged the debt to coerce compliance—often translating into influence over the domestic policies of those countries.
as prc surveillance technology becomes more integrated into the region, beijing will increasingly weaponize it for intelligence collection.
tajikistan and kyrgyzstan provide two cogent examples . In 2016, tajikistan ceded the rights of two gold mines to a prc state-owned enterprise (soe) to repay debt for a power plant and a lavish $230 million parliamentary complex. Chinese commercial culture is rife with bribery , and soes use it as part of their corporate strategies. One tactic is charging customers inflated rates for their projects. For example, in kyrgyzstan in 2018, following the mid-winter failure of a prc-funded thermal power plant in bishkek, an investigation revealed the chinese firm that upgraded the facility had charged a 90% inflated rate on construction materials . The then-prime minister was removed from office on charges of embezzlement, and 30 government officials were charged with corruption that cost the kyrgyz government $111 million.
more specifically, pakistan is ground zero for prc predatory lending. With a debt-to-gdp ratio of 87%, it is the second highest in south asia after sri lanka. Moreover, islamabad owes 22% of its debt to the prc . Beijing’s predation manifests most significantly in the china-pakistan economic corridor (cpec) and pakistan’s gwadar port . The cpec is an overland network of roads and pipelines linking western china to gwadar allowing the prc to diversify access to the arabian sea by bypassing the strait of malacca. In terms of debt-trap diplomacy, pakistan is struggling to repay its loans to china and has asked for a $9 billion bailout from beijing.
the gwadar port illustrates the prc’s duplicitous bait and switch negotiation tactics designed to secure dual-use infrastructure. In addition to prc naval bases in djibouti and cambodia , beijing’s seemingly innocuous commercial port investment in gwadar shifted to something more aggressive than just economic development. After building the deep-water port with chinese workers and signing a 43-year lease, officials later admitted in 2015 that prc naval access to nearby global shipping lanes presented a strategic opportunity. “There is an inherent duality in the facilities that china is establishing in foreign ports , which are ostensibly commercial but quickly upgradeable to carry out essential military missions,” notes abhijit singh, senior fellow at the observer research foundation in new delhi.
sri lanka’s debt profile is like pakistan’s, and the case of the hambantota port —on the periphery of the central region—is a cautionary tale of the prc’s predatory economic colonialism. In 2017, when sri lanka defaulted on $8 billion debt, in part due to presidential corruption, the prc coerced the government to sign a 99-year lease of the port in a debt-for-equity swap. On the day of the transfer, xinhua, the ccp’s official news agency, gloated on twitter that beijing had usurped foreign territory. This, and other 99-year port leases in australia and greece are reminiscent of the former leases of hong kong and macau, which beijing considers humiliating acts of western imperialism. Indian officials have also maintained that the cpec and other bri ports across the indian ocean and arabian gulf are intentional prc efforts to encircle india . As the bri expands, the prc will logically seek to expand its naval capabilities to protect strategic supply lines from the middle east to china.
middle east encroachment — slow, but intertwined china views select middle eastern states as “strategic fulcrums” —conduits through which it can build military, ideological, economic, and international political influence. The united arab emirates—a bri signatory since 2018—is one such fulcrum where the prc has been building a secret military base at the khalifa port in abu dhabi. The emirati government —reportedly unaware that china intended the facility to serve the prc’s expansionist agenda —halted construction on the controversial facility in late 2021. The facility would have not only served in an intelligence collection capacity endangering the operational security of u.S. Forces stationed in the country, but it also represented the first possible step of a prc naval access agreement. China is unlikely to cede access to the emirates so easily, and its activities suggests that beijing is willing to conduct duplicitous activities in other bri signatory nations to advance its strategic objectives.
israel is another of the prc’s little-known mideast strategic fulcrums. In 2020, after a period of significant prc investments in israel’s high-tech sector, the u.S. Government engaged emphatically to warn israel to prevent prc multinational tech corporation huawei from developing the country’s 5g network out of concern it would compromise israel’s sovereignty. In protest to the deepening israeli-prc relationship, the united states initially refused to allow the u.S. Navy’s 6 th fleet to berth in haifa following prc control over the port. As a result, israel scaled back prc investments and continues to consult with u.S. Officials regarding future economic ties with beijing that may impact the important u.S.-Israeli partnership .
partner-nation collaboration with the prc’s huawei to develop “smart city / safe city ” networks also places traditional u.S. Relationships at risk for prc exploitation beyond financial leverage. Israel, saudi arabia, and egypt have invested heavily in such technology, with the latter seeking to create a new administrative capital to replace cairo based on this platform. As prc surveillance technology becomes more integrated into the region, beijing will increasingly weaponize it for intelligence collection. The threat is twofold: it encourages authoritarian behavior within states against their own populations, and it allows the prc to conduct intelligence operations against the host country governments and their peoples.
big-data collection opens the door for the prc to freely monitor the leaders of participating bri nations, to include their private diplomatic discussions and intimate relations. Collection on the latter creates opportunities for blackmail. Dr. Evan ellis, a professor at the u.S. Army war college, warns about the global technological threat: “when you’re at a stage where china has that amount of knowledge over partner nations … the ability to resist or work against china will become extremely difficult.”
in the language of deterrence and compellence , this reality creates an entirely new understanding of holding assets at risk outside of conventional and nuclear warfighting modalities. More specifically, it allows the prc to pressure critical nodes in partner political networks to effect strategic-level political outcomes counter to u.S. Interests—aspects that u.S. Military campaigns struggle to address due to cognitive and bureaucratic self-constraints.
the focus on traditional u.S. Partners becoming prc strategic fulcrums merits continued attention. However, u.S. Adversaries like iran and syria also provide china opportunity to expand unfettered regional access. In march 2021, the prc and iran drafted a 25-year strategic accord injecting $400 billion of prc infrastructure, banking, and telecommunications investments in exchange for a steady supply of heavily discounted iranian oil. Worthy of note, even within the iranian government critics protested that tehran was giving too much away to china.
similarly, in january 2022 the assad regime—desperate for foreign capital—signed a “memorandum of understanding” allowing syria to officially join the bri . Leveraging syria’s need for foreign assistance to rebuild its country after a decade-long civil war presented the chance for beijing to offer purported humanitarian aid and financial investments to promote its interests in the eastern mediterranean. Ultimately, it is asserted that the prc seeks to build a railway through iran and turkey into syria, onward to the lebanese port city of tripoli. A levant bri corridor would allow the prc to diversify its trade routes and reduce dependence on the suez canal, but risk associated with the ongoing syria conflict and the fall of the assad regime tempers beijing’s current ambitions.
a way forward: irregular deterrence through counter predation mark green, former administrator of the u.S. Agency for international development, observed that the bri is beijing’s strategy to “stimulate its own economy, gain critical foreign natural resources, obtain strategic assets within recipient nations, and convert economic access into geostrategic influence”—all at the expense of the self-reliance and freedom of the prc’s purported “partner nations.” The prc’s self-serving activities demonstrate—like the ancient tributary system of the warring states period—that the people’s republic is attempting to make all roads once again lead to beijing. However, this does not need to be the case. The prc’s predatory behavior sows the seeds of its own demise, offering sufficient opportunity to illuminate and amplify prc missteps and subversive behavior through multinational and interagency partner networks.
as such, the central region is a focal point to enhance deterrence. More specifically, the central region is fertile ground for a counter-predation campaign that denies the prc the benefits it seeks to gain—by illuminating its anti-sovereign activities, raising the costs of its exploitative approach, and inoculating partners against deals with the prc that usurp their independent decision-making. Irregular warfare activities provide multiple ways to contribute to deterrence by denial that manifest in the central region through cognitive and financial vectors.
first, cognitive access denial works by fostering partner nation resilience against prc influence operations . The aforementioned cases of prc soe corruption in tajikistan, kyrgyzstan, and uae are perfect examples of potential inoculation against future prc attempts to usurp sovereignty. Explaining the backdoor dealing of soes to illuminate the debt trap in which partner nations are about to be ensnared is an essential tool.
in the case of pakistan, fiscal problems with the bri are compounded by public resentment over high unemployment amid the importation of chinese workers to complete infrastructure projects. Protesters claimed that the prc profits from bri projects at the expense of local workers. Public distrust, at least partly due to pakistan’s $60 billion infrastructure debt trap, resulted in a “no confidence” vote for prime minister imran khan’s leadership in april 2022—demonstrating the catalytic potential of people power to deny the prc ’s coercive and anti-sovereign goals in the central region.
financial access denial via counter-threat finance and intelligence support to partner nations and the u.S. Interagency offers a complementary way to deny the prc the benefits derived from its coercive and illicit economic statecraft . Illuminating and targeting prohibited financial activities such as the illegal iranian-chinese oil trade, alongside the prc’s predatory bri investments that endanger partner sovereignty are high-payoff financial targets —which present additional risk to host-countries of penalties such as sanctions and status in the g7’s financial action task force.
starving the dragon the 2021 annual dod report to congress on the status of prc military and security developments concluded that the bri’s objective is to develop deep economic integration with selected countries, shape their interests to align with the prc’s autocratic practices, and prevent criticism of the ccp’s policies on sensitive issues—like internal subjugation of its uyghur muslim population in xinjiang . Therefore, the bri is not a grand, benign venture for global peace and cooperation, but a cleverly disguised prc vector for achieving global economic hegemony and foreign dependency.
the prc’s global behavior demonstrates it is a predatory neo-colonial power— a dragon in a panda suit . Global campaigning against the prc must exploit what the prc truly seeks for partner nations across all geographic combatant commands, not just the indo-pacific command: second-class dependency at the expense of sovereign prosperity and security.
taken together, cognitive and financial vectors constitute a counter-predation campaign that could deny the prc the benefit of its neo-colonial approach. Illuminating subversive behavior, inoculating partners against sovereign exploitation, and providing interagency escalation options across the financial and economic instruments power are three critical elements that irregular warfare can bring to a strategy of deterrence by denial. To comprehensively shape prc decision calculus over taiwan and other global areas of national interest, the united states must exploit these outsized gray zone deterrence opportunities via irregular warfare to starve the chinese dragon in the central region.
about the authors steve ferenzi
steve ferenzi is a retired u.S. Army strategist and special forces officer with recent service as lead campaign planner for u.S. Special operations command central (soccent). Throughout his career, he has led and contributed to irregular warfare and special operations strategic guidance from the national though combatant command and service levels. He holds a master of international affairs from columbia university’s school of international and public affairs.
david harden
tech sergeant david harden is an 18-year air force strategic intelligence analyst with former service in the soccent j2 intelligence directorate. He holds a master of science in strategic intelligence from the national intelligence university. He previously served in sof assignments at raf mildenhall, uk and ft. Benning, ga, and as a counterterrorism intelligence analyst at u.S. Strategic command.
this article was originally published by small wars journal |
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| Victor Davis Hanson Tells Ivy League Universities to Take the Trump Deal Before |
| Posted on Wednesday, April 23 @ 00:00:22 PDT (2 reads) | |
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( daily signal )—hello, this is victor davis hanson for the daily signal. We’ve talked about higher education before, but now it’s come into sharper focus with the trump administration’s deadlock with harvard university over its unwillingness or inability—whatever term we like to use—to meet the administration’s demands that it ensures an antisemitic-free campus that does not allow people to disrupt classes. It doesn’t use race, after the supreme court decision that went against harvard and said that affirmative action was no longer legal.
columbia had the same type of disagreement, other campuses are.
i don’t think it’s a wise thing for them to get into a fight with the federal government. If they are dependent on federal funding, these big private marquee universities—columbia, harvard, princeton, yale, stanford, duke—and they want federal money, then the federal government is going to ask for some transparency. And we, the public, really don’t know much about it.
it’s like a rock, a traditional rock on moist ground. You don’t wanna turn it over because there’s going to be things underneath there that you would better not—it would be better not to be seen. And that’s what the public is going to learn about higher education .
now, what do i mean? I mean loans. These universities are raising tuition higher than the rate of inflation. And that started when the federal government said, “we will ensure these loans for students.” Once that happened, the moral hazard shifted away from the university. So, they have been gouging students for room and board.
i’ll give you an example. Hillsdale college , its room, board, and tuition is about $45,000 a year. It takes no money. Harvard gets about $9 billion in total. Its room, board, and tuition is about $95,000. Same with stanford. They’re about double what hillsdale charges. And one of the reasons is that they’re so dependent on federal money and therefore they can spend like drunken sailors.
remember, of that 1.7, about 10%, 8% are nonperforming and about maybe 14% are late. The public doesn’t know all that. But they’re paying for it—especially kids, the half of the cohort 18 to 30 that’s not going to college, they’re subsidizing this university boondoggle.
the second thing is the university doesn’t really obey the first 10 amendments of the constitution. If you get accused of particular crimes as a student, faculty member, let’s say, sexual harassment or untoward speech, hate speech—whatever the term they use—it’s very unlikely you’re going to get fourth and fifth, maybe sixth amendment protection. That is, you’re not going to have an open hearing. You’re not going to be tried by a jury of your peers. You’re not going to necessarily have legal counsel. You’re not necessarily going to know who your accusers are.
the affirmative action ruling by the supreme court outlawed the use of race in admissions. And we have civil rights statutes that also do that. But the universities do something funny. They have safe spaces. They have theme houses. And they have auxiliary graduations. But the common denominator, they’re predicated on race. So, a black theme house, a latino theme house has almost very few people.
nobody would want a european, so-called white theme house or an alternate white graduation. And you would say, “why not, victor?” Because it would be considered racist, i suppose.
but at stanford, only 22% of the student body is white. Are they going to say, “well, we’re one of the minorities now. Why don’t we do this?” That’s where it will lead if you enhance tribalism.
there’s no intellectual diversity. The national association of scholars did a study not long ago. They found not one of the 133 faculty members at bryn mawr was a republican. At williams, i think they found one or two. They found a lot of elite universities where there was nobody who openly acknowledged that they were a republican.
there are a couple of other things that are disturbing too. And that is the universities get individual faculty grants— department of energy , national institutes of health. And usually, in most private foundations, the university is not following their model.
what i mean is, a private scholar at a think tank, they might deduct 15% for the use of the phone or office that they would get out of that federal grant. But universities like stanford, harvard, princeton, they can go from 40% to 50% to 60% and they’re relying on that multimillion-dollar—i guess we’d call it—price gouging from the federal government.
and finally, these universities don’t have multimillion-dollar endowments anymore. They have multibillion-dollar—$30 billion, stanford $53 billion. And they’re predicated—the income—on that. And sometimes they get almost 10%. They’re very good in investing. This $5 or $6 or $7 or $4 billion a year in income is tax-free, for the most part. Tax-free. And that’s predicated that they’re nonpolitical, they’re nonpartisan. But when you look at the makeup of the faculty and the use of race and gender, contrary to federal law, you can see they’re very partisan.
so, let me just sum up. Does the university really want to get in a fight with the trump administration and then bring all of this information about their endowments; their lack of intellectual diversity; their segregation; their lack of due process for people who undergo inquiries or accusations; their separate racial graduations, safe spaces, theme houses; the use of student loans? I don’t think they want to do that. The public would be shocked. And it’s a losing proposition.
if i were the presidents of these major universities, i would do this: i would make a deal with the trump administration. And i would welcome it because then i would tell my radical students, “you can’t wear a mask. I’d like you to, but the federal government won’t let me.” Or, “we can’t have racially segregated dorms anymore, theme houses. I’d like to, but it’s against the law.” And that would be their way out.
is that going to happen? I don’t think so. And i think we’re going to see some accountability. And the universities are not going to like the consequences. |
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| Best Used Vehicles for College Road Trips |
| Posted on Wednesday, April 23 @ 00:00:22 PDT (2 reads) | |
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Looking for the best used vehicle for legendary college-era road trips this summer? This guide covers reliable and affordable options that prioritize fun, comfort, and safety. Whether your destination is nearby or hours away, these vehicles will get you there and back again—on your ideal continental budget trip for students —without a hitch.
quick study guide for college road trip vehicle selections older used honda cr-v models or a well-used subaru outback are among the best thoroughly-used vehicles for college-aged road trips (assuming you got a good deal for them) due to their reliability, space, and comfort. Key features to consider when choosing a road trip vehicle include comfort, fuel efficiency, cargo space, and safety features like lane departure warning and automatic emergency braking. Budget-friendly options are available for under $15,000, making vehicles like last decade’s toyota camry hybrid and a newer used hyundai sonata hybrid, or yesteryear’s kia sorento great picks for students on a budget. Brand new kia or ford vehicles often provide a best-value alternative if the used selection you’ve found isn’t quite what you’re looking for—or if new car smell is all part of the aesthetic. The usual suspects: which used vehicles to choose for college road trips
when it comes to road trips, reliability and comfort are non-negotiable. Whether you’re packing up for a weekend at the beach or heading to the mountains for some fresh air, these used cars and a pickup truck will get car shoppers there and back without a hitch. In fact, cars tend to be the best option for such journeys.
here are our top picks for the best used cars for college road trips in this day and age. These vehicles combine reliability, fuel economy, and a pleasant driving experience.
used honda cr-v the used honda cr-v is a small suv that checks all the boxes for a perfect road trip vehicle. With its 39.2 cu. Ft. Cargo area and comfort-focused suspension, it’s ideal for packing all your gear and hitting the road.
it also safely features lane departure warning technology, alerting drivers if the vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane, providing that peace of mind you and your friends (and family back home) require.
used subaru outback for adventure seekers, the older used subaru outback is a perfect choice. This versatile suv features all-wheel drive and advanced safety features like lane departure warning systems, making it perfect for tackling both city streets and off-road trails.
its low-lying cargo space ensures you can bring all your gear along for the ride, with a comfortable seat on the tail gate.
used toyota camry an older toyota camry hybrid is a reliable, fuel-efficient sedan option. Known for its comfortable ride, 33 highway mpg average in recent years and spacious interior, this midsize sedan is perfect for long road trips.
its high safety ratings and fuel efficiency save money on gas and enhance road safety. Additionally, it has received the iihs top safety pick designation.
used mazda cx-5 the used mazda cx-5 is a small suv known for its fun-to-drive characteristics and superior handling. Its stylish design and refined interior make it both visually appealing and comfortable for passengers.
navigating city streets or cruising down the highway, the mazda cx-5 provides a pleasant driving experience for daily driving.
used kia sorento newer used kia sorento models stand out for reliability and overall performance as part of the midsize suv category. With spacious 3-row seating, it’s an excellent choice for group travel, whether you’re hitting the road with friends or family. Advanced driver assistance features enhance safety, even when you’re relying on smart cruise control with stop & go ensuring a smooth and stress-free ride.
best value picks be sure to shop around wherever it’s convenient and well-stocked! Buying used vehicles saves money compared to new ones due to high prices. If you’re up for a little hunting or trusting a sales advisor, any top used cars available in the $15,000 range usually offer impressive fuel efficiency and reliability, making them excellent value-picks.
some of the best options include an older acura ilx, a newer used chevrolet volt, and a well-used honda civic, all of which have been tailored for different needs and lifestyles. These premium vehicles bought used save money while providing a reliable and safe driving experience.
key features to look for in a road trip vehicle
when choosing a vehicle for a college road trip, prioritize comfort, fuel efficiency, cargo space, and safety features. A comfortable vehicle enhances the overall experience during long travels, while good fuel economy helps you save money on gas.
ample cargo space is essential for transporting luggage and gear, and advanced safety features provide peace of mind on the road.
cargo space for road trips having ample cargo space is essential for road trips, especially when you need to transport luggage and gear. Last decade’s honda cr-v, for example, is recognized for its significant cargo space, making it an excellent option for carrying everything you need for your adventure. A spacious cargo area allows you to pack all essentials comfortably—without taking up the passenger space of your classmates!
bluetooth connectivity & infotainment modern used cars often feature advanced technology and connectivity that significantly enhance the road trip experience. Infotainment systems that integrate with smartphones and bluetooth connectivity for hands-free calls and music streaming make travel more enjoyable and convenient.
bluetooth connectivity is vital for modern drivers, offering wireless access to smartphone features while driving. This functionality allows drivers to make hands-free calls and stream music directly from their smartphones, enhancing safety and entertainment.
streaming music via bluetooth, especially with apple carplay or android auto, enhances entertainment value of the trip, making the journey more enjoyable for you and your friends. Newer used models infotainment centers from the latter half or so of the past decade are best for “passing the aux.”
financing options exploring various financing options is essential for students looking to purchase a used car. Loans with low-interest rates and manageable repayment plans suit budget-conscious buyers. Leasing can be a suitable option for international students, often requiring lower monthly payments and providing access to newer vehicles without tying you down.
at the end of the day, students should budget for total ownership costs, including insurance and maintenance, to avoid financial strain.
maintenance costs considering maintenance costs is crucial for avoiding unexpected expenses during road trips and ensuring budget management. Vehicles like the last decade’s subaru outback and the older honda cr-v are some of my selections due to their reliability and low maintenance costs, making them decent choices for long trips and a useful life back home.
routine maintenance for vehicles like the mazda cx-5 models aren’t in the shop much, and a kia sorento cost to repair typically ranges between $533 annually, highlighting their affordability in different ways. Evaluating both maintenance costs and vehicle reliability ensures a worry-free road trip experience.
other great models affordable enough to buy new
besides the usual top picks, several other models, new or used, from kia stand out for their reliability and value for students, outpacing many rivals—particularly in the category of new cars for college students.
the kia sportage, telluride, and soul balance loyal sales, good resale value, strong reliability, and awards. These models cover different segments; compact suv, large suv, and station wagon suv are all appealing to diverse used car buyers.
whether you choose a new ford, a compact suv like the sportage or a larger kia like the telluride, these vehicles are excellent new cars for road trips from your college to a summer break destination. They will also serve you well when it comes time to graduate and start commuting to areas in san diego where you find work, not just studies.
summary choosing the right used car for a college road trip involves considering factors like fuel economy, cargo space, comfort, and safety features. Vehicles like barely-used honda cr-v models, an older subaru outback, and a well-used toyota camry offer a blend of reliability, comfort, and advanced technology, making them ideal for long-distance travel. Advanced safety features and modern connectivity options further enhance the road trip experience, ensuring both safety and convenience. But let me reiterate.
safety first! Please prepare for any highway scenario on the highway. A good safety suite in your vehicle is step one but knowing what to do is all-important.
ultimately, the best used car for your road trip will depend on your specific needs and budget. Whether you’re an adventure seeker, prioritizing fuel efficiency, or planning group travel, there’s a perfect vehicle out there for you. So, buckle up, hit the road, and make unforgettable memories with the right used (or new) car at the ready. |
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| Chelsea enter race to sign £64.5 million-rated star wanted by Manchester United |
| Posted on Wednesday, April 23 @ 00:00:22 PDT (2 reads) | |
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) > -1) { addclass($(.Section-container), pill-tag); } follow us share 0 discuss 0 discuss whats your opinion? Chelsea enter race to sign £64.5 million-rated star wanted by manchester united and manchester city - reports discuss now chelsea and manchester united interested in diogo costa chelsea have reportedly joined the race for manchester united and manchester city target diogo costa. The goalkeeper is also attracting interest from bayern munich.
ad chelsea are looking to further reinforce their squad in the summer and have identified goalkeeping as a position needing replacement. Robert sanchez has made a number of errors this season. While they still have a few goalkeepers on their books, the west london side are looking for an experienced player.
hence, as per teamtalk , they have identified diogo costa as an option. The 25-year-old came through portos ranks and has made 195 senior appearances for them, keeping 82 clean sheets. He has also made 34 appearances for portugal, keeping 16 clean sheets.
ad trending costas contract with porto has a release clause worth around £64.5 million. With his contract expiring in 2027, the portuguese side could be open to negotiating this summer, but not much. Moreover, they can expect a bidding war for him as well.
manchester united and manchester city are also interested in signing costa. The red devils are looking to replace andre onana, who has made numerous errors since arriving from inter milan in 2023. Meanwhile, the cityzens are dealing with speculation about edersons future.
ad bayern munich are also monitoring costa as they look for a long-term successor for manuel neuer.
manchester united reach agreement with chelsea target: reports as per tuttosport (via metro ), manchester united have reached a basic agreement with napoli striker victor osimhen for his potential salary. However, they havent agreed on a transfer fee with the italian side for a summer transfer yet.
osimhen is set to leave napoli permanently this summer and has garnered interest from plenty of top clubs. He was heavily linked with a move to chelsea last summer, but a transfer didnt materialize. He ended up joining galatasaray on loan for the 2024-25 season.
ad the nigerian striker has been excellent for the turkish giants, recording 30 goals and seven assists in 35 games across competitions. They are set to win the league title and have also reached the turkish cup final.
galatasaray are looking to sign him permanently but face tough competition from top european clubs. Manchester united are keen on signing osimhen as they look to replace rasmus hojlund, who has been disappointing. Meanwhile, chelsea are looking to add more firepower to their attack, with nicolas jackson being their only striker right now.
× feedback why did you not like this content? Clickbait / misleading factually incorrect hateful or abusive baseless opinion too many ads other cancel submit was this article helpful? Thank you for feedback about the author aditya singh
aditya has been working as a european football journalist and editor for sportskeeda for close to 3 years. He boasts a total experience of over 6 years, and always aims to inculcate proper context in his articles, making the most of his prior stints in writing and marketing across a number of different industries over the years. He has also played football at college level for 2 years.
a b.Tech. Graduate, adityas journey as an ardent football fan began after watching the elegant maestro zinedine zidane in the 2006 fifa world cup, and his infamous headbutt on marco materazzi in the final. He has been a fan of tottenham hotspurs front foot and creative football since 2008 and connects with the clubs underdog status.
aditya, who is a sportskeeda long-form editor of the month award winner, is a big admirer of luka modrics elegant and hard-working style of play. His favorite manager is carlo ancelotti because the italian allows his players enough freedom in an age where micromanagement is the established norm.
aditya feels jude bellingham and jamal musiala could replicate the messi-ronaldo rivalry due to their incredible collective potential. In his free time, he likes to read classical fiction, travel to places, and explore a variety of foods.
know more |
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| Chelsea enter race to sign £64.5 million-rated star wanted by Manchester United |
| Posted on Wednesday, April 23 @ 00:00:22 PDT (2 reads) | |
|
|
) > -1) { addclass($(.Section-container), pill-tag); } follow us share 0 discuss 0 discuss whats your opinion? Chelsea enter race to sign £64.5 million-rated star wanted by manchester united and manchester city - reports discuss now chelsea and manchester united interested in diogo costa chelsea have reportedly joined the race for manchester united and manchester city target diogo costa. The goalkeeper is also attracting interest from bayern munich.
ad chelsea are looking to further reinforce their squad in the summer and have identified goalkeeping as a position needing replacement. Robert sanchez has made a number of errors this season. While they still have a few goalkeepers on their books, the west london side are looking for an experienced player.
hence, as per teamtalk , they have identified diogo costa as an option. The 25-year-old came through portos ranks and has made 195 senior appearances for them, keeping 82 clean sheets. He has also made 34 appearances for portugal, keeping 16 clean sheets.
ad trending costas contract with porto has a release clause worth around £64.5 million. With his contract expiring in 2027, the portuguese side could be open to negotiating this summer, but not much. Moreover, they can expect a bidding war for him as well.
manchester united and manchester city are also interested in signing costa. The red devils are looking to replace andre onana, who has made numerous errors since arriving from inter milan in 2023. Meanwhile, the cityzens are dealing with speculation about edersons future.
ad bayern munich are also monitoring costa as they look for a long-term successor for manuel neuer.
manchester united reach agreement with chelsea target: reports as per tuttosport (via metro ), manchester united have reached a basic agreement with napoli striker victor osimhen for his potential salary. However, they havent agreed on a transfer fee with the italian side for a summer transfer yet.
osimhen is set to leave napoli permanently this summer and has garnered interest from plenty of top clubs. He was heavily linked with a move to chelsea last summer, but a transfer didnt materialize. He ended up joining galatasaray on loan for the 2024-25 season.
ad the nigerian striker has been excellent for the turkish giants, recording 30 goals and seven assists in 35 games across competitions. They are set to win the league title and have also reached the turkish cup final.
galatasaray are looking to sign him permanently but face tough competition from top european clubs. Manchester united are keen on signing osimhen as they look to replace rasmus hojlund, who has been disappointing. Meanwhile, chelsea are looking to add more firepower to their attack, with nicolas jackson being their only striker right now.
× feedback why did you not like this content? Clickbait / misleading factually incorrect hateful or abusive baseless opinion too many ads other cancel submit was this article helpful? Thank you for feedback about the author aditya singh
aditya has been working as a european football journalist and editor for sportskeeda for close to 3 years. He boasts a total experience of over 6 years, and always aims to inculcate proper context in his articles, making the most of his prior stints in writing and marketing across a number of different industries over the years. He has also played football at college level for 2 years.
a b.Tech. Graduate, adityas journey as an ardent football fan began after watching the elegant maestro zinedine zidane in the 2006 fifa world cup, and his infamous headbutt on marco materazzi in the final. He has been a fan of tottenham hotspurs front foot and creative football since 2008 and connects with the clubs underdog status.
aditya, who is a sportskeeda long-form editor of the month award winner, is a big admirer of luka modrics elegant and hard-working style of play. His favorite manager is carlo ancelotti because the italian allows his players enough freedom in an age where micromanagement is the established norm.
aditya feels jude bellingham and jamal musiala could replicate the messi-ronaldo rivalry due to their incredible collective potential. In his free time, he likes to read classical fiction, travel to places, and explore a variety of foods.
know more |
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| Gov. Bob Ferguson signed more than 80 bills into Washington law this week. Heres |
| Posted on Wednesday, April 23 @ 00:00:22 PDT (2 reads) | |
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Olympia, wash. — Gov. Bob ferguson signed more than 80 bills into washington law this week.
these bills range in topic from midwife and doula access for incarcerated patients to restricting when the national guard from another state may come into washington, to efforts to reduce the criminal element in gambling.
these bills are some of the dozens of bills ferguson has already signed into law during this session.
bills signed tuesday
hb 1755
house bill 1755 exempts elective percutaneous coronary interventions provided in a hospital owned or operated by a state entity from certificate of need requirements.
yale medicine defines a percutaneous coronary intervention as a non-surgical procedure used to treat blockages in the coronary artery.
according to the department of health, this procedure is considered to be a tertiary service, and a hospital must secure a “certificate of need” before it can introduce any new tertiary health services. This means hospitals may perform emergency percutaneous coronary interventions, but not elective ones, which puts vulnerable and marginalized patients at a disadvantage.
essb 5480
engrossed substitute senate bill 5480 aims to remove barriers for consumers created by medical debt.
hospitals, physician groups, professional partners and collection agencies are prohibited from reporting medical debt to credit reporting agencies or credit bureaus. Medical debt is exempt from being included on someone’s credit report.
medica debt reported to credit agencies becomes void and unenforceable, with enforcement provided by the consumer protection act.
sb 5641
senate bill 5641 encourages school districts, charter schools and state-tribal education compact schools to provide instruction in awareness of blood donation. This instruction may be included in at least one health class required for graduation, beginning the 2025-26 school year.
sb 5498
senate bill 5498 requires that health plans reimburse for a 12-month supply of contraceptives to all prescriptions, instead of only refills.
ssb 5655
substitute senate bill 5655 requires that when a child care center opens in an existing, mixed-use building, the child care centers capacity is only calculated based on the areas of the building that will be used for childcare.
sb 5764
senate bill 5764 repeals the expiration date for the expiration date for the ambulance transport quality assurance fee program.
ssb 5493
substitute senate bill 5493 requires hospitals to comply with federal hospital price transparency rules and submit data to the department of health.
sb 5696
senate bill 5696 expands the allowable uses of revenue from the local mental health and chemical dependency sales tax to include the new construction of facilities for mental health treatment programs or services.
hb 1355
house bill 1355 increases the revenue-sharing percentages between a compacting tribe and the state of washington when the tribe has completed a qualified capital investment.
some tribes with land in the state of washington have entered compacts to receive a portion of the sales and use tax and b&o revenues generated from sales between non-tribal member businesses and non-tribal member consumers at business locations where the underlying property is owned by the tribe or the federal government as trust land.
for tribes that complete capital investments, they will receive 100% of the amount of sales and use tax revenues. A “qualified capital investment” means a contribution to the development and construction of a project agreed to by the governor and a compacting tribe.
for example, the tulalip tribe built a civil commitment facility on tribal-owned land, which will be turned over to the state shortly.
shb 1061
substitute house bill 1061 aims to increase parking flexibility in residential neighborhoods. Cities and counties may now allow residential property owners to park, or allow others to park, across the point of ingress or egress (entry and exit) of the owner’s driveway, subject to certain conditions.
hb 1261
house bill 1261 aims to provide tax relief for certain incidental uses on open space land.
open space lands and farm and agricultural lands are subject to different taxes than other property.
the bill allows for certain agrotourism activities to take place on classified open space farm and agricultural land without removing their classification. The bill also reduces the classification removal penalty calculation for classified open space farm and agricultural land to four years of back taxes.
2shb 1183
second substitute house bill 1183 aims to incentivize affordable and sustainable building practices through building code and development regulation reform.
the bill requires cities and counties planning under the growth management act to modify setback, height limit and gross floor area requirements for specific types of developments. The bill modifies off-street parking and affordable housing unit size requirements.
2shb 1391
second substitute house bill 1391 aims to improve developmentally appropriate alternatives for youth outside the formal court process.
under the bill, parents and guardians will not be able to prevent their juvenile from entering into a diversion agreement. The bill also requires the administrative office of the courts to develop common definitions, outcome measures and data collection methods for both informal and formal diversion programs with a report due on july 1, 2026.
hb 1602
house bill 1602 authorizes domestic breweries and microbreweries to satisfy food-service requirements of two types of restaurant liquor licenses by subcontracting with one or more individual entities.
domestic breweries or microbreweries are allowed to use their licensed premises to subcontract or sublease the operation of a mobile food unit or an independently operated food service provider or establishment that sells food and non-alcoholic beverages to the public and does not hold a retail liquor license.
hb 1686
house bill 1686 requires the department of health to develop a plan and provide recommendations to the legislature on how to create a complete and interactive registry of the health care landscape in washington.
sshb 1696
second substitute house bill 1696 modifies the covenant homeownership program by raising the area median income threshold for eligibility to 120%, authorizing full loan forgiveness under certain circumstances and modifying one of the membership positions on the oversight committee.
ssb 5558
substitute senate bill 5558 extends the deadline for comprehensive plans from some counties and provides that certain requirements related to the growth management act must be adopted by the time of the county or city’s next comprehensive plan update.
sb 5656
senate bill 5656 changes the basis of the inflation rate for certain aquatic land leases from the producer price index to the consumer price index.
eshb 1141
engrossed substitute house bill 1141 creates collective bargaining procedures for certain agricultural workers involved in the cannabis industry.
agricultural employees do not currently fall under the national labor relations act, which grants private sector workers the right to organize, form, join, or assist labor organizations, and bargain collectively. This bill grants agricultural cannabis workers that right within the state of washington, and sets out procedures through which to do so.
this bill puts the administration and enforcement of these procedures under the purview of the public employment relations commission (perc). Perc typically only administers and enforces procedures for employees in the public sector, however, there is precedent of the organization representing symphony musicians employed by orchestras with gross revenue of more than $300,000, who are not otherwise covered by the nlra.
sssb 5356
second substitute senate bill 5356 clarifies and expands access to training provided to law enforcement officers about how to interact with victims of gender-based or sexual violence.
the bill makes note of the existence of already-provided sexual assault training at the criminal justice training center in washington. The other component of the bill adds this training for title ix investigators who investigate sexual assaults in higher education settings. Peace officers will be required to complete sexual assault training within their first year on the job, and then again every three years after that.
ssb 5030
substitute senate bill 5030 aims to make it easier to enroll children from low-income families in school by waiving some of the fees associated with procuring necessary documents, like a birth certificate.
this bill also requires that the department of children, youth and family services and the office of the superintendent of public instruction accept a variety of different identifying documents from families seeking to enroll their children in the early childhood education and assistance program and public schools.
e2ssb 5355
engrossed second substitute senate bill 5355 makes changes to improve safety at higher education institutions while supporting survivors of sexual assault.
the bill requires that id cards issued by these institutions to students, staff and faculty include the number of a regional community-based organization focused on survivors of sexual assault, harassment and sex- and gender-based violence that provides 24-hour support.
the bill establishes additional requirements to be added to the list of rights for survivors of sexual assault, including:
- survivors should be informed in writing of the policies governing the collection and preservation of a sexual assault kit.
- upon written request of a survivor, be granted further preservation of his or her sexual assault kits or its probative contents, without charge;
- upon written request of a survivor, receive written notification from the appropriate official with custody of his or her sexual assault kit not later than 60 days before the date of the intended destruction or disposal of the sexual assault kit.
this bill also prevents institutions from proposing, requesting, or pressuring a student reporting sexual misconduct to enter into a nondisclosure agreement.
ssb 5182
substitute senate bill 5182 amends the current language in washington state law that relates to contracting midwives or doulas for incarcerated pregnant patients.
the bill removes language from washington state law that says the department of corrections is not required to establish or provide funding for midwifery or doula services to incarcerated individuals, and instead specifies that nothing prevents the department from contracting with a nonprofit organization or partnering with volunteers to deliver these services.
sb 5163
senate bill 5163 modernizes the child fatality review statute. Various provisions were modified, including renaming them from mortality to fatality reviews, expanding reviews to include children up to 19, and requiring various entities to provide records and data requested for specific child fatality reviews to the local health department.
witness statements or documents collected from witnesses, or summaries of these records prepared for child fatality review, may be introduced into evidence in a criminal proceeding related to the death of the child reviewed.
2ssb 5358
second substitute senate bill 5358 specifies that school districts are allowed to enroll sixth-grade middle school students in exploratory career and technical education courses.
middle school and high school cte programs are to be treated as a single program for accounting purposes.
ssb 5265
substitute senate bill 5265 expands electrical inspector licensing requirements to include credit for experience gained in certain states besides washington.
sb 5288
senate bill 5288 repeals statutory provisions related to filling vacancies on boards of county commissioners.
sb 5414
senate bill 5414 requires performance audits to include social equity impact analysis of programs or services. This bill extends the deadline for legislative bodies to hold public hearings on the findings of performance audits.
ssb 5239
substitute senate bill 5239 changes requirements for hospitals relating to retaining medical records.
hospitals were formerly required to retain medical records for different lengths of time depending on the age of the patient. The bill now requires hospitals to keep records for at least 26 years from the date the record was created.
ssb 5214
substitute senate bill 5214 creates the mobile market program, which will provide increased nutrition access to the participants of the women, infants and child nutrition program and the senior farmers market nutrition program, if federal funding is available.
mobile market programs operate by bringing refrigerated trucks of fruits and vegetables to food deserts across washington state.
essb 5202
engrossed substitute senate bill 5202 aims to ensure the efficacy of judicial orders when used as harm reduction tools in domestic violence cases.
the bill amends various provisions relating to civil protection orders, including requiring county clerks to give ample notice of an expiring protection order and sealing a confidential information notice if accidentally disclosed.
the bill also allows people who have turned 18 to renew protection orders that were ordered on their behalf when they were a minor.
the bill specifies that a person commits the crime of unlawful possession of a firearm in the first degree if they own, access, receive, or have in their custody, control, or possession an untraceable or undetectable firearm while subject to certain qualifying court orders.
ssb 5221
substitute senate bill 5221 authorizes a county treasurer to waive personal property taxes, including taxes for a titled manufactured or mobile home, if the cost to collect and seize someones property is more than the amount of tax to be collected.
this bill also establishes a process for property owners whose property has been seized to apply for a refund of any proceeds from a property sale beyond what they owed in taxes. This used to be mandatory on the part of the county treasurer, but instead, the owner will now have to request a refund.
ssb 5157
substitute senate bill 5157 authorizes the department of natural resources to conduct certain direct sales of valuable materials, including large trees, on public lands for qualifying habitat restoration projects.
ssb 5149
substitute senate bill 5149 expands early childhood court services to families with children under the age of 6, instead of families with children under age 3.
early childhood courts serve the needs of children under the age of 3 who are subject to child welfare (dependency) cases, provide certain services and avenues of communication between families, child welfare workers and the court.
essb 5129
engrossed substitute senate bill 5129 relates to common interest communities and brings certain practices into compliance with the washington uniform common interest ownership act. The bill also revises some existing regulations and grants some new permissions.
ssb 5076
substitute senate bill 5076 establishes a limited-entry non-spot shrimp pot-puget sound commercial fishing license.
ssb 5074
substitute senate bill 5074 establishes standards, terms and processes for turf seed grass production and purchase contracts.
esb 5065
engrossed senate bill 5065 prohibits the use of certain animals in traveling animal acts. This list includes elephants, bears, nonhuman primates, felines (excluding domestic cats and hybrids of these species. Allowing any prohibited animal to participate in an act is punishable by a gross misdemeanor.
sb 5501
senate bill 5501 prohibits an employer from requiring a drivers license as a condition of employment, or including a statement on the job posting that an applicant must have a valid drivers license unless driving is one of the essential job functions or driving is related to a legitimate business purpose for the position.
essb 5459
engrossed substitute senate bill 5459 establishes requirements and penalties for call centers that move their operations to foreign countries. Call center operators will be required to notify the employment security department 120 days before moving their call center to another country, and if they fail to do so, they could receive a penalty of up to $10,000 a day.
call centers that do move their operations will not be eligible for grants or loans from state agencies for five years. State agencies that contract for call center services must include a provision that the work should be performed entirely in the united states, unless the contract is specifically for interpreter services.
ssb 5040
substitute senate bill 5040 expands interest arbitration rights to law enforcement officers of cities, towns and counties regardless of the employing local governments population size, as well as to municipal airport law enforcement officers.
sb 5306
senate bill 5306 allows members of the law enforcement officers and firefighters retirement system plan 2 on authorized leaves of absence to purchase up to two years of service credit if the member retires, rather than returns to work.
sb 5037
senate bill 5037 adopts the uniform custodial trusts act in washington state to allow for a simplified method of creating a trust in which the beneficiary who is not incapacitated has the power to direct the management of the trust property and the payment of income to the beneficiary.
if the beneficiary is incapacitated, the custodial trustee continues to manage the property as a discretionary trust under the prudent person standard for the benefit of the incapacitated beneficiary. The bill specifies a means of monitoring and enforcing a custodial trust, the rights and liability of third persons, limitations of action against the custodial trustee and distribution of trust property on termination.
sb 5049
senate bill 5049 revises a requirement that the sunshine committee, which is tasked with reviewing statutory exemptions from public disclosure, meet four times annually, versus once quarterly. This allows for more flexibility in scheduling.
essb 5200
engrossed substitute senate bill 5200 provides an exemption from adult family home licensure requirements for medical foster homes caring for veterans if these homes are already under the oversight of and annually reviewed by the united states department of veterans affairs, if care is provided exclusively to three or fewer veterans and its caregivers comply with all applicable state laws. The bill aims to help with the growing number of veterans who are increasingly requiring medical care and offers access to a lower-cost alternative for veterans and their families.
this bill also extends requirements regarding certification and training for long-term care workers to medical foster home caregivers.
sb 5021
senate bill 5021 reduces the retention period for court exhibits from six to five years.
e2ssb 5175
engrossed second substitute senate bill 5175 delays the program implementation deadlines associated with the photovoltaic module stewardship program. Also establishes a photovoltaic module advisory committee to develop recommendations, and requires the department of ecology to submit a related report to the legislature by dec. 1, 2028.
sb 5391
senate bill 5391 amends the list of allowable uses for the sustainable farms and field grant program funding to remove financial assistance for compost spreading equipment if a significant amount of the materials composted are not from a site owned or operated by the farmer.
the bill also directs the program to prioritize or weight projects for funding by their ability to reduce or avoid carbon dioxide equivalent emissions through increased energy efficiency or reduced fuel use.
the state conservation commission must evaluate and update the most appropriate carbon equivalency metric before implementing upfront payments for carbon storage.
bills signed monday
eshb 1531
engrossed substitute house bill 1531 requires public health responses to communicable diseases to be guided by the best available science. It stipulates that state and local officials must implement and promote evidence-based, appropriate measures to control the spread of communicable diseases, including immunizations and vaccines.
shb 1321
substitute house bill 1321 prohibits a military force from another state, territory, or district (like another states national guard) from entering washington state to perform a military duty unless given permission by washingtons governor, or under the direction of the u.S. President.
at least seven other states have similar statutes, including idaho, kansas, north dakota, oklahoma, rhode island, south carolina and texas. This bills language is nearly identical to those existing laws, according to the prime sponsor, rep. Sharlett mena. The bill does not affect existing interstate training agreements or mutual aid compacts where washington has agreed to receive help in the event of a natural disaster, like a wildfire or flood.
hb 1028
house bill 1028 amends existing state law to clarify that child advocacy centers, which provide safe, child-friendly environments to children who are victims of crimes, also support children who have been exposed to violence.
the law allows for recordings of child forensic interviews in closed cases to be used for peer reviews. This will allow interviewers to receive supervision and feedback. According to the bill text, research showed consistent review of protocol procedures and intensive group peer review improves interviewers ability to adhere to best practices, and receive much-needed emotional and professional support. This will ultimately result in better care for children in washington state.
eshb 1201
engrossed substitute house bill 1201 makes it easier for people to identify emergency shelters where they can take their pets.
the bill requires political subdivisions to identify shelters that accept pets in each update to their local comprehensive emergency plans. Political subdivisions will be required to identify emergency shelters that can accommodate companion animals in their existing plan structures and provide companion animal emergency preparedness information on their websites.
pet ownership is the highest risk factor for non-evacuation compliance in an emergency or a disaster. Making clear the options and providing more options to accommodate pets will save lives.
hb 1222
house bill 1222 makes adjustments to the type of information redacted in public records obtained by the gambling commission. Information, including additional financial statements and transactions, information that describes certain internal operational systems or procedures of a gambling facility, security information, and certain gaming equipment information, will be redacted. The gambling commission said this will help keep the criminal element out of gambling.
hb 1484
house bill 1484 modifies a list of aggravating circumstances that support imposing an exceptional sentence on a convict above the standard range. This bill adds offenses where a rapist impregnates a victim, regardless of the victims age.
shb 1879
substitute house bill 1879 allows a hospital employer and employee to mutually agree to waive a meal or rest period and the timing of those periods, subject to certain conditions.
a hospital and an employee may voluntarily agree to waive:
- the meal period, if any, in a work shift of less than eight hours
- the second and/or third meal period in a work shift of eight hours or longer, so long as at least one meal period is provided and taken during the shift
- the timing requirements for meal and rest periods are so long that the meal period starts no earlier than the third hour worked and no later than the second-to-last hour scheduled.
ehb 1705
engrossed house bill 1705 creates a work group to study and recommend strategies to recruit, train, and retain large animal veterinarians in washington.
the large animal veterinarians the bill is referencing are those specialized in horses, foals, dairy and beef cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, camels, llamas and alpacas. Data shows that only 3-4% of veterinarians over the past 20 years have entered food-related care.
lawmakers said the shortage of large animal veterinarians is concerning due to animal welfare reasons and disease prevention.
hb 1013
house bill 1013 adds positions within the department of social and health services exempt from the state civil service law.
the positions include:
- the secretary
- the secretarys executive assistant
- the chief of staff and deputy chief of staff
- assistant and deputy assistant secretaries
- senior directors
- division directors
- assistant and deputy division directors
- regional administrators
- district managers
- executive officers and superintendents of institutions
- executive assistants supporting the above officers
this change allows the department to restructure in a way that is more effective for the agency, according to prime sponsor rep. Suzanne schmidt.
shb 1260
substitute house bill 1260 redistributes where the money from a document recording fee goes.
it costs $183 for county auditors to record certain documents, and 30% of the money goes to supporting county homelessness and housing plans and programs.
this bill directs counties to make distributions from these funds to cities operating their homeless housing program, versus the county keeping the full amount.
shb 1325
substitute house bill 1325 classifies certain hunting, firearm, fishing guide and hydraulic code violations as natural resource infractions. This allows the washington state department of fish and wildlife to impose its fines, instead of going through the court system. This will lighten the load on the courts and create an avenue for more immediate accountability from offenders.
trafficking a certain amount of seaweed will be classified as unlawful trafficking of fish, shellfish, or wildlife in the second degree.
hb 1081
solicited real estate transactions happen when the buyer solicits the property owner through public advertising, or written, electronic, or in-person contact, and the property is not currently listed for sale on the market.
house bill 1081 gives a property owner in a solicited real estate transaction the right to an appraisal and the right to cancel a purchase contract by sending a notice of cancellation through mail, telegram, email, or other means of written communication. Contracts with solicited real estate buyers must include a statement about the property owners rights. These adjustments to state law will be enforced under the consumer protection act. This bill is meant to protect property owners from predatory home buyers.
shb 1105
substitute house bill 1105 requires that public agencies soliciting public comment must include the first and last day that public comment is accepted in the notice. An agency that fails to do so would be subject to a $500 fine for a first violation and a $1,000 fine for any subsequent violations.
shb 1121
substitute house bill 1121 requires that 16- and 17-year-olds be allowed to work up to 48 hours per week if they are enrolled in a technical program, and they are working for an employer approved by that program.
previously, anyone under 18, either in school or enrolled in a technical education program, would be capped at working 20 hours per week. The cap was lifted to 48 hours on a non-school week, like summer vacation or winter break.
2shb 1273
second substitute house bill 1273 extends a pilot program to cover certain expenses of secondary and postsecondary schools to allow for increased participation in career and technical education dual credit opportunities.
the bill directs the office of the superintendent of public instruction and the state board for community and technical colleges to report to the legislature on the implementation of the bill and provide recommendations for improvements on dual credit policies.
hb 1279
house bill 1279 is an act related to consumer protections for post-secondary students. The act puts certain consumer protection requirements on state authorization reciprocity agreements, which allow institutions to streamline regulations around distance education.
hb 1287
house bill 1287 allows a clients written acknowledgement of a disclosure statement, as well as information behavioral health professionals obtained from a client to render treatment, to be disclosed under the uniform health care information act.
this bill will make it easier for mental health care professionals to communicate necessary information to each other about patient treatment. This information will still be protected by state and federal health care privacy laws.
shb 1294
substitute house bill 1294 extends the expiration date of the pesticide application safety committee to july 1, 2035, from july 1, 2025. The committee explores how multiple agencies and the washington poison center collect and track data, the development of a shared database, and the use of existing tools to better display multiagency data regarding pesticides.
lawmakers said the committee is a valuable tool for communication, collaboration and understanding the need for safety in pesticide use, and should be preserved.
shb 1650
substitute house bill 1650 adds small airports to the list of capital projects local governments may use real estate excise tax revenue for.
hb 1309
house bill 1309 establishes the burrowing shrimp research program to focus on addressing the impacts of burrowing shrimp on bottom culture shellfish farming.
ehb 1393
engrossed house bill 1393 requires school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools to permit students to wear items or objects of cultural significance at high school commencements and other official graduation ceremonies and events.
hb 1327
house bill 1327 makes adjustments to washington state law governing horse racing, which includes removing an 11-race per day cap. For all the changes, visit the bill summary page here.
hb 1486
substitute house bill 1486 adds a student member to the state board for community and technical colleges.
hb 1540
house bill 1540 amends the student experiencing homelessness program to add another college.
the program requires participating community and technical colleges to provide accommodations to homeless students and students who were in foster care when they graduated from high school. The accommodations include access to laundry facilities, storage, locker rooms and showers, and technology, reduced-priced meals or meal plans, access to short-term housing or housing assistance, especially during seasonal breaks, and case management services.
this bill adds northwest indian college, the sole tribal college in washington, accredited by the northwest commission on colleges and universities, to the student experiencing homelessness program.
esshb 1563
engrossed second substitute house bill 1563 would establish a pilot program to reimburse claims for certain damages resulting from prescribed or cultural burns, either on lands under the dnrs fire protection authority or on tribal lands where there is an agreement with the dnr.
the bill summary notes that while escapes from prescribed burns are rare, the liability concerns mean the practice is underutilized. Fire is a valuable tool in stewarding resilient forests, so alleviating some of the liability concerns could increase its use, meaning washington would be better able to prevent catastrophic fires in the future.
hb 1636
house bill 1636 eliminates the per-transaction limit for wine and spirit sales by certain retailers to other liquor retailers.
shb 1669
substitute house bill 1669 expands coverage requirements for prosthetic limbs or orthotic braces. A small group or large group health plan issued or renewed after jan. 1, 2026, must include coverage for one or more prostheses per limb and custom orthotic braces per limb when medically necessary to participate in:
- completing activities of daily living or essential job-related activities
- performing physical activities for maximizing the enrollees limb function, including running, biking, swimming, and strength training
this coverage must also include:
- materials, components, and related services necessary to use the devices for their intended purposes
- instructions on how to use the device
- reasonable repair or replacement of the device or any part of the device
eshb 1718
engrossed substitute house bill 1718 is an act relating to well-being programs for certain healthcare professionals. The bill adjusts current law so that, under certain circumstances, these physician well-being programs are exempt from mandatory reporting requirements. The bill protects physician well-being program records from disclosure under certain circumstances.
hb 1722
house bill 1722 makes changes to the states current law governing 16- and 17-year-olds participating in secondary career and technical education programs to expand their opportunities.
the law requires the department of health to create a process to allow 16-year-olds to begin emergency medical technician training under certain circumstances. The state fire marshals office will be required to assess age restrictions on its training programs to increase professional and volunteer opportunities in the fire service for 16- and 17-year-olds. The department of labor and industries is prohibited from banning minors with certain licensure or certifications from working in occupations with a high risk of exposure to bloodborne and other infectious diseases.
hb 1747
house bill 1747 is aimed at expanding protections for people who have previously been convicted of crimes during the job application process.
the bill prohibits an employer from automatically or categorically excluding an individual with a criminal record from any job. The employer may only obtain information about an applicants criminal record after making a conditional offer of employment.
it limits an employers ability to pursue a tangible adverse employment action against an employee or applicant based on their criminal history information under certain circumstances.
shb 1821
substitute house bill 1821 expands the definition of the term interested party to prevail wage laws.
an interested party may now apply to joint labor-management cooperation committees and taft-hartley trusts.
the bill requires an employers certified payroll records to be provided to an interested party to enforce prevailing wage requirements.
hb 1858
house bill 1858 applies a document recording surcharge and a covenant homeownership program assessment fee to more documents recorded by a county auditor on behalf of members of the public. This will provide more funds for local homeless housing programs across the state.
shb 1935
substitute house bill 1935 makes it so that building permits are not considered project permits for certain local government project review requirements. This is a simple technical correction to existing state law.
shb 1967
substitute house bill 1967 provides that, for pubic works design-build projects, a performance and payment bond is not required for the portion of the design-build contract that includes design services.
shb 1105
substitute house bill 1105 streamlines the collective bargaining process for department of corrections employees. Employees who have interest arbitration rights under the personnel system reform act will be exempt from the coalition bargaining requirements, unless those employees are part of the marine department.
ehb 1609
engrossed house bill 1609 allows the superintendent of public instruction to use a designee on the board of natural resources. |
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| Arizona Law enforcement loosening marijuana rules for applicants |
| Posted on Wednesday, April 23 @ 00:00:22 PDT (2 reads) | |
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Updated: moments ago
|the brother and sister of charles vallow are elated with the guilty verdict for lori vallow daybell but they cant move on until she answers for all her crimes. Kay woodcock and gerry vallow said its been six long years since the saga started and are happy vallow daybell is being punished for her crimes. Shell be back in court in june for another trial. Steven sarabia reports.
updated: 1 hour ago
|troopers have arrested two more suspects in connection with another train heist in northern arizona, where several similar cases are under investigation. Earlier this month, arizona department of safety troopers on interstate 40 between kingman and williams were notified of a theft from a train.
updated: 1 hour ago
|on a mission to become one of the greats in basketball, perry high schools star player koa peat opens up about the grit and grace that help keep him grounded on his journey to possibly making it in the nba. As one of the top recruits in the country, koa talks about being a one-and-done player in college sports and confidently claims that he believes he could take on legends like michael jordan, lebron james, and devin booker.
also, rapper young mc chats with yetta gibson and drops a fun fact about how he made bust a move a huge hit. He’s also sharing how he’s mixing ai into his new music.
lastly, in the in the chat segment, a financial advisor from edward jones, who’s been recognized by forbes, gives some solid tips on negotiating pay and talking money at work.
updated: 1 hour ago
|the son of a police officer who allegedly hit and killed a jogger and then drove off in new river in 2024 changed his plea last week.
updated: 3 hours ago
|the roller coaster ride for people with student loan debt has taken another twist and turn. The u.S. Department of education announced it is resuming collections on any federal student loan in default, for the first time in five years.
updated: 3 hours ago
|arizona democratic rep. Yassamin ansari returned to phoenix after her trip to el salvador and she is demanding the release of a deportee from prison there. Ansari and her fellow democrats are pressuring the white house to get kilmar abrego garcia back to the u.S. She and her fellow democrats are demanding daily proof of life of garcia and that he get access to legal counsel. Dennis welch reports. |
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| Body discovered at Surprise landfill identified as missing Phoenix woman |
| Posted on Wednesday, April 23 @ 00:00:22 PDT (2 reads) | |
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Updated: moments ago
|agencies across arizona are easing restrictions on marijuana use for those applying for a law enforcement job. The old rules said applicants couldnt have used marijuana over the last two years. That time frame is now changing to six months. Holly bock reports.
updated: moments ago
|the brother and sister of charles vallow are elated with the guilty verdict for lori vallow daybell but they cant move on until she answers for all her crimes. Kay woodcock and gerry vallow said its been six long years since the saga started and are happy vallow daybell is being punished for her crimes. Shell be back in court in june for another trial. Steven sarabia reports.
updated: 1 hour ago
|troopers have arrested two more suspects in connection with another train heist in northern arizona, where several similar cases are under investigation. Earlier this month, arizona department of safety troopers on interstate 40 between kingman and williams were notified of a theft from a train.
updated: 1 hour ago
|on a mission to become one of the greats in basketball, perry high schools star player koa peat opens up about the grit and grace that help keep him grounded on his journey to possibly making it in the nba. As one of the top recruits in the country, koa talks about being a one-and-done player in college sports and confidently claims that he believes he could take on legends like michael jordan, lebron james, and devin booker.
also, rapper young mc chats with yetta gibson and drops a fun fact about how he made bust a move a huge hit. He’s also sharing how he’s mixing ai into his new music.
lastly, in the in the chat segment, a financial advisor from edward jones, who’s been recognized by forbes, gives some solid tips on negotiating pay and talking money at work.
updated: 1 hour ago
|the son of a police officer who allegedly hit and killed a jogger and then drove off in new river in 2024 changed his plea last week.
updated: 3 hours ago
|the roller coaster ride for people with student loan debt has taken another twist and turn. The u.S. Department of education announced it is resuming collections on any federal student loan in default, for the first time in five years. |
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| Amherst College is the Democratic Partys Problem |
| Posted on Wednesday, April 23 @ 00:00:22 PDT (2 reads) | |
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Opinion
amherst college is the democratic party’s problem
staff writer jeb allen ’27 argues that amherst’s elitist and hypocritical political climate encapsulates the democratic party’s rejection of ideological diversity, which ultimately helped fuel trump’s 2024 victory.
last november, i sat in the keefe campus center with friends on election night and watched students be baffled by now-president donald trump’s crushing defeat of kamala harris. The same students who i’ve heard describe southerners as “racist, inbred morons” and “naturally dumb” couldn’t process how north carolina and georgia moderates didn’t vote for the party that has historically stereotyped them with such insults. The same students who judge, or even cut off, their friends after learning they hold right-wing views were perplexed as to how so many closeted trump supporters emerged on election day. The same students who describe themselves as socialist or communist — yet accept luxurious vacations, college tuition payments, and trust funds from their parents working in finance, big pharma, big tech, and defense contracting — complain about how democrats have been labeled as hypocritical elites. Even professors who openly question the morals of republicans were astounded by the silent right-wing surge among gen z. The democrats’ problem is precisely the political elitism, hypocrisy, and rhetoric on display at amherst college.
currently, the democratic party’s approval rating sits at an all-time low: 25%. For reference, trump’s approval rating is 45%. Nevertheless, democrats, especially at amherst, struggle to accept trump’s victory as anything besides a clear indicator of america’s racism, sexism, transphobia, xenophobia, etc., When, ironically, trump’s victory was fueled by minorities breaking away from the democratic party. Trump increased his support among black, hispanic, and asian voters across ideological lines — liberal, moderate, and conservative alike from 2016 to 2024. Since 2020, trump roughly doubled his support among african americans under 45, increased his overall hispanic support by 14%, and increased his support among women ages 18-29 by 7%. Funnily enough, the only racial demographic that didn’t swing for trump since 2016 is whites — liberal, moderate, and conservative alike.
in addition to grappling with minority flight to the gop, the democratic party struggles to realize they have become the party of the wealthy elites — abandoning the working class to appease their affluent donor base. Though left-leaning outlets such as the washington post criticize the wealth of trump’s cabinet and the guardian warn that trump’s “courting of big donors poses major corruption dangers,” such assumptions are extremely misleading — especially given that billionaires, major donors, and concentrated wealth more align with and support the democratic party. In 2024, harris’ campaign committee raised $2 billion to trump’s $1.45 billion, harris had 83 billionaires backing her to trump’s 52, and 66.6% of hedge fund political donations went to harris. Furthermore, nine of the 10 wealthiest counties in america are democratic and the irs revealed that democrats represent 65% of taxpayers with a household income of $500,000 or more.
of course, trump has his own support among ultra-wealthy individuals — but here’s the difference: trump and republicans have never built their identity around demonizing wealth. In fact, they encourage and celebrate wealth creation, as 79% of u.S. Millionaires and nearly 70% of billionaires worldwide are self-made. The hypocrisy lies in the democrats’ constant crusade against the rich while being bankrolled by them. America is sick and tired of performative stunts like bernie sanders and aoc’s [“fighting oligarchy” tour](https://berniesanders.Com/oligarchy/) when their own party bears as much, if not more, responsibility for the influence of wealth in politics. Bernie lecturing us before retreating to one of his three homes reeks of “do as i say, not as i do” — and america is tired of being shamed and lectured by elites whose own wealth far surpasses the comparably insignificant amounts of wealth hardworking citizens have earned.
i’ve noticed this firsthand as a student receiving financial aid here. My mom works for the duval county, florida, public school board; my father serves our nation’s military, and the only way i could attend amherst is by using two years of my father’s transferable gi bill and gambling on myself to pay off my student loans, assisted by amherst’s beyond-generous financial aid. But being called a “rich, entitled white male” by students with multi-million-dollar winter homes in vail, colorado, paying full tuition at a school that costs $93,090 a year, perfectly encapsulates the democratic party’s obliviousness to its own wealth conundrum. The curtains have been drawn back, the hypocrisy has been revealed, and the democratic party is panicking about how to combat the diminishment of their two main talking points — championing the working class and defending minority interests.
the struggle to conceptualize trump’s victory isn’t just unique to amherst — it reflects a broader crisis within the democratic party. It has surrendered a once respectable party focused on equality and bread-and-butter issues to an activist wing focused on performative wokeness and virtue signaling. Democrats have succumbed to the pressure of the far-left, abandoning their historical base of rural and working-class americans. Rather than acknowledge legitimate critiques, they brand those who don’t vote for them as ignorant, bigoted, and morally inferior — hoping this is enough to win elections. When you [blame an election loss](https://www.Jhunewsletter.Com/article/2024/11/blame-game-lessons-from-the-2024-election) on over half the country being deplorable rather than admitting harris ran a poor campaign, you shouldn’t be surprised when people lose faith in your party. The democratic party’s self-righteousness weakens democracy by implying dialogue with the right is pointless since its members are supposedly unintelligent and immoral.
i kept my mouth shut after the election because i recognized that the post-election period was a time of grieving for many. When enough time passed, i decided to write a respectful and thoughtful article on why i viewed [diversity, equity, and inclusion (dei) as problematic](https://amherststudent.Com/article/academia-needs-uncomfortable-unpopular-but-necessary-debates-on-dei/). Unsurprisingly, the amherst student body’s coveted values of love, tolerance, and inclusivity flew out the window when presented with a dissenting political viewpoint. For readers unaware, [turning point usa](https://www.Tpusa.Com/live/amherst-college-student-faces-harassment-death-threats-after-article-critical-of-dei) and [the college fix](https://www.Thecollegefix.Com/amherst-college-title-ix-office-goes-after-student-following-anti-dei-op-ed/) have covered our campus’ reaction. For those interested in my perspective, i have also written op-eds for [national review](https://www.Nationalreview.Com/2025/04/conservative-students-must-save-higher-education-from-itself/) and [young america’s foundation](https://yaf.Org/news/amherst-college-melts-down-after-student-paper-op-ed-criticized-dei/). Ironically, the amherst student body’s vitriolic response vindicated my point that academia and the left are largely incapable of engaging with those they disagree with in a civil manner. The [burning down of cities in 2020](https://www.Foxnews.Com/us/protests-riots-nationwide-america-2020), current arson [toward tesla vehicles](https://www.Forbes.Com/sites/conormurray/2025/04/19/tesla-protests-and-vandalism-surge-justice-department-announces-charges-against-sixth-alleged-vandal/) and [pennsylvania governor josh shapiro’s house](https://www.Nytimes.Com/2025/04/16/us/cody-balmer-motive-arson-gaza-palestinian-shapiro.Html), and [college mob riots over palestine](https://www.Cnn.Com/2025/04/22/us/antisemitic-cases-2024-campus-protests/index.Html) indicate the national trend of chaos, violence, and hate as acceptable behavior by those on the left. The left and academia’s unwillingness to sharply condemn such behavior is a large reason for our nation’s devolving culture of civil discourse.
however, i do not think improving the way our campus communicates regarding politics is impossible. In fact, i am optimistic. Unlike other institutions’ administrations, ours recognizes its shortcomings surrounding political discussion and is interested in bettering itself. I have great respect for president michael elliott, dean of students angie tissi-gassoway, and the administrative leadership at amherst college, with whom i’m actively working with on ways to make our campus less hostile to differing political views and trust to confront the issues plaguing both our campus and our nation. I also have a deep appreciation for my liberal professors, classmates, and friends here. The political environment here is much different than what i came from in jacksonville, florida, but it forces me to consider other worldviews and expand my own. I enjoy my time here so much that i have [started a podcast](https://www.Youtube.Com/@jeballen1776), hosting prominent faculty, professors, and students to convince prospective students to come.
but like the rest of academia, amherst currently suffers from a lack of genuine curiosity to understand those we politically disagree with. I’d argue fostering such environments is academia’s most important role — yet it has knowingly allowed itself to fail. As our culture stands, despite being initially highly respected and praised amongst the amherst liberal community for writing a six-article column last fall noting my concerns about trump being reelected, my credibility and respect vanished when i expressed a singular viewpoint that strayed even slightly from liberal orthodoxy. If an independent-minded republican with reservations about the maga agenda can’t even write a measured article without [receiving a death threat](https://www.Tpusa.Com/live/amherst-college-student-faces-harassment-death-threats-after-article-critical-of-dei), what does that say about the political climate we have created and the intellectual diversity we tolerate? The current democratic party tolerates no politics except those praising unwavering support for its figureheads and platform. Amherst shares this definition of tolerance, and after speaking with a few alumni involved in politics, it apparently has for a long time. I’m ready to do something about it and would view graduating here without pushing amherst to distinguish itself from the rest of academia as a disservice to my affection for this special place.
if amherst students seek to understand why harris lost last fall and the democratic party’s popularity is plummeting, they should look no further than a mirror. The way amherst shuns right-of-center ideas is exactly why polls constantly underestimate trump and republicans’ support. Left-wing echo chambers suffocating any critique of leftist values and ideas silently push moderate and apolitical students rightward. As the co-president of the amherst college conservatives, i promise you that the number of closeted republicans here is astounding and refreshing. Many amherst students voted for trump simply out of spite for what they see and experience here. Amherst is not unique, as [10% of voters ages 18-29 swung for trump from 2020 to 2024](https://now.Tufts.Edu/2024/11/12/young-voters-shifted-toward-trump-still-favored-harris-overall).
as a proud, unapologetic republican, i’m encouraged by the right-wing shift. As an american, i’m troubled by our rapidly devolving social cohesion. Academia’s intended purpose is to foster intellectual diversity, encourage civil discourse, and prepare the world’s next generation of leaders. We are nowhere near this goal. It may be uncomfortable for liberals here, but a significant reason trump is currently sitting in the oval office is precisely the behavior, rhetoric, and elitism typified by amherst college. Amherst needs to recognize its flaws and emerge as a role model for healthy disagreement and discourse. I am excited to help it reach this point over my next two years here. |
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| Whats Happening - Wyoming County Examiner |
| Posted on Wednesday, April 23 @ 00:00:22 PDT (2 reads) | |
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April 23
roast beef dinner at northmoreland twp. Volunteer fire company, demunds road, centermoreland on wednesday, april 23, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.M. Eat in or take out, $14. Call the firehall for information at 570-333-4911.
wyoming county active adult center, 101 dymond terrace, tunkhannock, will host arts in education theatre class with conor mcguigan at 11 a.M. Spring fling from 12:30 to 2:30 p.M. Come join the fun. Entertainment by honey pot production. Lots of music, dancing, karaoke, snacks, refreshments and more.
april 23, 30 and may 7
pottery & sculpture at the dietrich theater in downtown tunkhannock wednesdays, april 23, 30 and may 7 from 7 to 8:30 p.M. For ages 13 and up. Instructor will be steve colley. $65 for a four-class series.
in this class students will be introduced to the medium of clay. They will learn to work on potter’s wheels and develop hand-building (coil and slab construction) and sculpting techniques. All materials will be supplied. All levels of experience are welcome. Call the dietrich at 570-836-1022 x3 to register.
april 24
wyoming county active adult center, 101 dymond terrace, tunkhannock, will host hand embroidery class with lucy thursday, april 24 at 9:30 a.M. Tunchannock public library outreach sponsored craft with amy bohm at 11 a.M.
volunteer recognition luncheon at falls active adult center, 2813 sullivan trail, exeter twp., Thursday, april 24.
the sons of thunder chapter of the christian motorcyclists association will hold its monthly meeting at god’s promises book store, 29876 route 220, athens, tuesday, april 24. The meeting will start at 6 p.M. And guests are welcome on two, three or four wheels. Come join us as we fellowship with our brothers and sisters. For information, call tim at 607-425-6318.
april 24, may 1, 8
preschool pottery & sculpture at the dietrich theater in downtown tunkhannock thursdays, april 24, may 1 and 8 from 11 to 11:45 a.M. For ages 4 and 5. Instructor will be amy colley. Free. Young artists will explore the medium of clay as they work on potter’s wheels and learn sculpting and hand-building techniques. Call 570-836-1022 x3 to register. Sponsored by the dietrich fundraising committee.
april 25
music for littles at the dietrich theater in downtown tunkhannock friday, april 25 from 10 to 10:45 a.M. For ages 2 1/2 to 5. Instructor will be abi zieger. Free. Students and their caregivers will explore basic musical elements through song, movement, play and an introduction to simple instruments. Come foster your child’s natural musicality in this fun series. To register, call the dietrich theater at 570-836-1022 x3. Sponsored by the rotary club of tunkhannock.
wyoming county active adult center, 101 dymond terrace, tunkhannock, will host sing along with the romeo’s friday, april 25 at 12:45 p.M. Singing songs we love to sing. April birthday party.
april birthday celebration at falls active adult center, 2813 sullivan trail, exeter twp., Friday, april 25.
april 25, may 2, 9
pottery & sculpture for kids at the dietrich theater in downtown tunkhannock fridays, april 25, may 2, 9 from 4 to 5:30 p.M. For ages 5 to 12. Instructor will be amy colley. $40 for four-class session. Students will explore the medium of clay as they work on potter’s wheels and learn sculpting and hand-building techniques. To register, call 570-836-1022 x3.
april 25 to may 15
spring 2025 film festival friday april 25 to thursday, may 15. Enjoy 21 films in 21 days! Tickets: $8.50 each, excluding opening night. Visit dietrichtheater.Com for festival films and schedule.
april 26
volunteer work day on at vosburg neck state park on saturday, april 26 from 9 a.M. To noon. Registration appreciated.
monthly volunteer days are back for the summer season. This month we are focusing on taking care of the area in and around some of our newly planted trees. Participants who register will receive more information about the project along with a suggestion of what tools to bring. Meet at the barn parking area.
earth day hike at vosburg neck state park on saturday, april 26 at 1 p.M. Registration appreciated. Celebrate earth day outdoors with the endless mountains heritage region. Participants should arrive at the park by 1 p.M. And should wear appropriate clothing and footwear (hiking shoes or boots) and have a sufficient supply of water with them. Participants will hear the history of the howland preserve and how dcnr acquired the property, as well as some updates on the park. The hike will zig zag across the park’s mountainous trail system and combine sections of old farm road, vista, whitetail and howlin’ down trails for a little less than four miles total. The hike will involve moderate elevation change on uneven terrain. Registration for this event can be found on the emhr website. Meet at the barn parking area.
the mount zion methodist church on mount zion road in harding is holding its 77th annual pancake supper on saturday, april 26 from 4 to 6:30 p.M. The meal consists of pancakes, eggs (limit of 2 per person), sausage, beverage and ice cream for dessert. Take out meals will be available starting at 4 p.M., Meals in the dining room will start to be served at 4:30 p.M. Adult meals cost $10, children 5 to 12 cost $7. To reserve tickets, call karen at 570-885-1650. Come for good food and good fellowship.
spring marketplace at clarks summit united methodist church, 1310 morgan highway, clarks summit, saturday, april 26 from 10 a.M. To 3 p.M. Many local crafters and vendors will be featuring the perfect gifts for mother’s day, graduations or maybe something for you! Shop our bake sale, enter a free raffle for beautiful hanging baskets and enjoy lunch at our cafe. No admission fee. Proceeds help fund grants, loans and scholarships for women through the p.E.O. Sisterhood’s educational projects.
april 27
lake carey sportsmen’s club chicken bbq sunday, april 27 from noon to 2 p.M. Drive-thru only. Pre-orders only. Call 272-392-1727.
relaxing sunday sessions yoga classes at wellness arts center, 200 lake ave., Montrose, sunday, april 27 at 6 p.M. For yin yoga: deep meditative stretches. End your weekend and prepare your body and mind to begin a new week with these relaxing yoga classes. April classes are designed to help you rest, relax and breathe deep into your body. Yoga instructor charm goff giangrieco sets the tone with a welcoming space and practice for a beautiful sunday session yoga class. No experience necessary, everything is provided.
classes are approximately 70 minutes. For information or to book, contact charm goff giangrieco at 570.396.5222, email: info@wellnessarts.Com or message her on facebook at yoga with charm goff giangrieco at wellness arts center. Visit our website, www.Wellnessarts.Com and facebook, wellness arts center.
countryside conservancy will have a photographer on hand to take free mother’s day photos on the trolley trail near the church of the epiphany on sunday, april 27 from 1 to 3 p.M. The photographer will use your phone or camera to take the picture. You must register for the photo, and if you want more than one photo, you will need to sign up for each photo. You can park in the church’s parking lot and you will be directed where to go. To register, go to https://forms.Gle/emqo44ugg6onytyh9.
april 28 and may 5
open studio & portfolio prep at the dietrich theater in downtown tunkhannock on mondays, april 28 and may 5 from 7:00 p.M. To 8:30 p.M. For ages 13 and up. Cost: $65 for a four-class series.
students of all levels of experience will have the opportunity to work at their own pace with the medium of their choice, whether it is pottery, sculpture, drawing or painting. Students will also learn how to create a portfolio to showcase their work for college, professional or personal reasons. Call 570-836-1022 x3 to register.
april 29, may 6
pottery & sculpture for kids at the dietrich theater in downtown tunkhannock tuesdays, april 29, may 6 from 1 to 2:30 p.M. For ages 5 to 12. Instructor will be amy colley. $40 for four-class session. Students will explore the medium of clay as they work on potter’s wheels and learn sculpting and hand-building techniques. To register, call 570-836-1022 x3.
april 30
wyoming county active adult center, 101 dymond terrace, tunkhannock, will host arts in education thearte class with conor mcguigan wednesday, april 30 at 11 a.M. Special bingo with cole sponsored by the embassy at 12:45 p.M.
simply yoga at the dietrich theater in downtown tunkhannock wednesdays, april 30 from 10 a.M. To 11:15 a.M. For ages 18 and up. Instructor: renea egan, ryt. $50 for series of six classes or $10 per class. Yoga is an ideal exercise to promote overall health by developing strength, improving flexibility, and decreasing stress. Classes are suitable for all levels and are presented in a safe vinyasa yoga style – enabling a connection of breath and movement to create a peaceful state of mind both on and off the mat. Please wear comfortable clothes, bring your own yoga mat, water, towel and/or blanket. You will leave class feeling refreshed and renewed. Namaste. Call 570-836-1022 x3 to register.
“rocketman” – free movie event at the dietrich theater in downtown tunkhannock thursday, may 1 at 6 p.M. Sponsored by wyoming county cares admission, small popcorn and small soda: free.
experience “rocketman” on the dietrich theater’s big screen — a dazzling musical journey that follows the extraordinary transformation of young reginald dwight into the global icon known as elton john. Witness his collaboration with lyricist bernie taupin and his rise to fame as one of the most iconic figures in pop history. Set to elton john’s most beloved songs, this epic film delves into his breakthrough years in the 1970s, his fantastical metamorphosis from a shy piano prodigy to an international superstar, and his personal journey through substance use disorder and recovery. The event will feature an introduction by cares and will conclude with an engaging q&a session. For more information or to reserve tickets, call 570-836-1022 x3.
the factoryville sportsmen’s club will hold its regular monthly meeting on wednesday. April 30 at 7:30 p.M. In the clubhouse with rick valent presiding. All returns for the may “supergun” event are due. All ranges and facilities are open for the season. Please check the event calendar at www.Fscshooting.Org.
may 2, 9, 16 and 30
music for littles at the dietrich theater in downtown tunkhannock fridays, may 2, 9, 16 and 30 from 10 to 10:45 a.M. For ages 2 1/2 to 5. Instructor will be abi zieger. Free. Students and their caregivers will explore basic musical elements through song, movement, play and an introduction to simple instruments. Come foster your child’s natural musicality in this fun series. To register, call the dietrich theater at 570-836-1022 x3. Sponsored by the rotary club of tunkhannock.
may 3 and 17
springville umc donation breakfast at 12112 state route 3004, springville, first and third saturdays of the month, may 3 and 17, serving 7 to 10 a.M.
may 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28
families in nature at tunkhannock’s riverside park tuesday, may 6, wednesday, may 7, tuesday, may 13, wednesday, may 14, tuesday, may 20, wednesday, may 21, tuesday, may 27, wednesday, may 28 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.M. For ages 3 to 8 and caregivers. Instructor: terra mcaulliffe. Free.
through science-based exploration and outdoor play, children and their caregivers will have an opportunity to explore several learning activities based on the week’s theme where children can practice fine motor skills, sensory investigation, creativity, math and literacy skills. Families in nature, is a great way to get outside with your children, foster curiosity and explore the natural world. Call 570-836-1022 x3 to register.
may, 7, 14, 21 and 28
simply yoga at the dietrich theater in downtown tunkhannock wednesdays, may 7, 14, 21, and 28 from 10 a.M. To 11:15 a.M. For ages 18 and up. Instructor: renea egan, ryt. $50 for series of six classes or $10 per class.
yoga is an ideal exercise to promote overall health by developing strength, improving flexibility, and decreasing stress. Classes are suitable for all levels and are presented in a safe vinyasa yoga style – enabling a connection of breath and movement to create a peaceful state of mind both on and off the mat. Please wear comfortable clothes, bring your own yoga mat, water, towel and/or blanket. You will leave class feeling refreshed and renewed. Namaste. Call 570-836-1022 x3 to register.
may 9
mother’s day cookie decorating at the dietrich theater in downtown tunkhannock on friday, may 9 from 7 to 9 p.M. For adults and children ages 13 and up. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Instructor will be sacha hoff, owner of cookies that care. Cost, $45, includes all supplies.
celebrate mother’s day with an activity for you and your mother or mother figure! Learn the step-by-step process of how to decorate delicious cookies for mother’s day with master decorator sacha hoff. No experience needed. You will leave with 8 decorated cookies, some skills and recipes for you to take home and enjoy with your family. Space is limited. Call 570-836-1022 x3 to register.
every first and third friday of the month through may 16
dungeons & dragons meetup and play every first and third friday of the month from through friday, may 16, from 6 to 10 p.M. For ages 13 and up. Free.
do you play dungeons & dragons, or have you ever wanted to try to play? This meetup and play is perfect whether you are an expert or a beginner! Dungeons and dragons is a fantasy tabletop roleplaying game originally designed by gary gygax and dave arneson, and is tons of fun for all who participate.
mondays through may 19
chair yoga in person at the dietrich theater or via zoom mondays to may 19 from 10 to 11:15 a.M. For ages 18 and up. Instructor will be renea egan, ryt. Free, registration required.
chair yoga brings all the benefits of yoga to anyone who may feel challenged by a traditional yoga class. With the aid of chair we can strengthen our bodies, increase mobility in our joints, improve balance and flexibility and experience an overall sense of well-being.
call 570-836-1022 x3 to register. Sponsored by the area agency on aging for luzerne & wyoming counties and the wyoming county community health foundation.
wednesdays through may 28
quilters meetup at the dietrich theater in downtown tunkhannock wednesdays to may 28 from 6 to 7:30 p.M. Ages 18 and up. Free.
are you a hand-quilter? Do you have a quilt project you are working on and would like to swap tips, gain inspiration and converse with other local quilters? Here is your chance! Bring your project and supplies and, of course, enthusiasm to quilt! To register call 570-836-1022 x3.
thursdays through may 29
writers group at the dietrich theater in downtown tunkhannock on thursdays to may 29 from 6:30 p.M. To 8:30 p.M. For ages 18 and up. Free.
are you a writer who’s been missing the friendship and accountability of other writers? Or are you new to writing with a story you want to tell? Come and read your work or listen and be inspired. Learn the craft of writing as you write toward a goal of personal fulfillment or publication. All genres and levels of writing are welcome. For more information, call 570-836-1022 x3.
fridays through may 30
chair yoga in person at the dietrich theater or via zoom fridays to may 30 from 10 to 11:15 a.M. For ages 18 and up. Instructor will be renea egan, ryt. Free, registration required.
chair yoga brings all the benefits of yoga to anyone who may feel challenged by a traditional yoga class. With the aid of chair we can strengthen our bodies, increase mobility in our joints, improve balance and flexibility and experience an overall sense of well-being.
call 570-836-1022 x3 to register. Sponsored by the area agency on aging for luzerne & wyoming counties & the wyoming county community health foundation.
thursdays through may 31
mat and chair integrated kundalini yoga at the dietrich theater in downtown tunkhannock on thursdays to may 31 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.M. For ages 18 and up. $10 per class. Instructor will be barbara tierney.
whether you prefer to practice yoga on your yoga mat or from a seated position in a chair, this class will include teachings for both. You may even prefer splitting asanas between both mat and chair. Kundalini yoga as taught by yogi bhajan is considered the most comprehensive of yoga traditions, combining meditation, mantra and physical exercises with a focus on breathing techniques. It is a science of the mind and body, to elevate the spirit. Therefore it is for everyone, universal and non-denominational. Not only will you get an extraordinary physical workout but all the systems of the body will benefit. You will learn to become aware of your breath, your mind and your body. Please bring a yoga mat and blanket. Call 570-836-1022 x3 to register.
tuesdays through june 3
golden days of radio players at the dietrich theater in downtown tunkhannock on tuesdays, through june 3 from 7 to 9 p.M. For ages 18 and up. Instructor will be esther harmatz. Free. Do you remember old time radio? Did you always wonder how all the sound effects were made? Or wonder how it feels to stand in front of a microphone and read the lines of the character you are playing? Join us and you will learn and experience all of this and more. Our live performance will be held on tues., June 3 at 7 p.M. Call 570-836-1022 x3 to register. Sponsored by rotary club of tunkhannock and ed battestin in memory of pat battestin.
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