by Kayla Rogers
This section of The Cento is intended to bring politics news, from Kentucky’s local politics to national politics in the United States. However, some truly remarkable events have occurred on the international stage as of late and I believe it would be a disservice to leave these events off your radar:
- After 15 months of terror in Gaza since October 7, 2023, a ceasefire was announced to go into effect on January 17, 2025. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and The United Nations Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People have all determined that Israel committed genocidal acts against the Palestinian people. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the United States has sent approximately $12.5 billion in direct military aid to Israel since the conflict began almost 500 days ago. Though some try to remove the United States citizenry from the genocide, the actions of the government have wholly compromised the entirety of the United States and its citizens. It is not simply complicity, it is culpability. And this national mood permeated into Kentucky. On January 18, 2024, Kentucky Senate Resolution 77 was adopted by a voice vote which affirmed support for the State of Israel and Israeli people. In a report by AP News, 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, over 109,000 wounded, 1.9 million people displaced, 69% of Gaza’s structures damaged or destroyed, over 84% of health facilities destroyed, and 67% of water and sanitation facilities destroyed. This genocide has devastated the people in Palestine and it is not ‘controversial’ or ‘opinionated’ news that the United States made it happen.
- The civil war in Sudan has continued to get worse, but with little news coverage (especially among the global north). According to UNICEF, approximately 25.6 million people are in high levels of acute hunger. Yes… 25.6 million people out of their population of 46 million, and virtually no one is talking about it. If you are unaware of the conflict, Sudan’s government has been stable very few times since independence in the 1950s. They had their first civil war beginning at independence in 1956 until 1972, their second from 1983 to 2005, and have been in civil war again since April 2023. The current conflict began in 2021, but is rooted in generational political instability caused by the trauma of colonization. After a coup in 2021, two military leaders were essentially running the state. General al-Burhan led the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and General Dagalo (known as Hemedti) led the paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forced (RSF). It is highly relevant that the origin of the RSF was the Janjaweed–who practiced ethnic cleansing of the non-Arab population in prior civil conflicts. The SAF and RSF leaders disagreed on how to run the country and they have been tearing it apart since April 2023. Human Rights Watch has reported that the RSF has committed ethnic cleansing and genocidal acts against the non-Arab and Masalit people specifically in Darfur (a large region in Sudan). Sexual violence has been rampant, both sides have bombed hospitals with civilians, and the sudanese people are facing a war that has no signs of stopping.
These are just a few, very brief snapshots of what is going on outside of the US. There are many other nations in conflict (Ukraine, Myanmar, Syria) that deserve attention and activism from every corner of the world. As always, do not take this at face value. Go do your research, talk to professors that research these countries (even if they aren’t your professor), be active and engaged global citizens.
Now for our transition to US politics:
Trump was inaugurated on January 20, 2025–the same day as MLK day. Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Google’s Sundar Pichai, and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos were among those seated on the inaugural platform. Many see this heightened presence of billionaires as a predecessor for what policies will come in Trump’s second non-consecutive presidency. As you may have seen across social media, Musk made a gesture that mimics a nazi salute at a celebratory rally after the Inauguration. This has heightened fears of rising anti-semitism and white supremicism in Trump’s administration. On his first day in office, he signed several controversial executive orders. Here are some of the highlights:
- Pardoned 1,500 people who stormed the US capitol building on Jan 6
- Declared a national emergency at the US-Mexico border
- Suspended refugee settlement for four months
- Undid 78 executive orders by former President Biden, many of which supported racial equity and protected LGBTQ+ people from discrimination
- Delayed the TikTok ban by 75 days (note that Trump began the process to ban TikTok in 2020)
- Withdrawn from the Paris Climate Agreement
- Stopped birthright citizenship for people born in the US to non-US citizens
- Left the World Health Organization
The rundown on Kentucky Politics:
The legislative session began on January 7, 2025. Here are some of the recent bills and topics that have been circulating since convening:
- Two days after beginning the legislative session, the house passed a bill to reduce the income tax rate from 4% to 3.5%. This cut will cost $718 million from the tax revenue for the next two years. The bill is now in the senate, where it is very likely to pass.
- Some Republican house representatives are voting to revoke the regulations passed last term to limit the sale of vape products (flavored and e-cigarette disposables).
- Representative Josh Calloway (R) introduced a bill that would repeal Governor Beshear’s executive order that barred State and Federal funds going towards conversion therapy.
- Senator David Yates (D) introduced a bill that would create abortion exceptions for rape and incest–the current law has absolutely no exceptions.
Politics is a messy place (and seems to be getting messier by the minute), but it is vital to stay informed so we can approach it together. It will always be hard to bear, but it will never be better to move about the world blindly and unaware of the trials we are facing.