Honesty Hour with Riley Lewis

Today is election day and there are hotly contested elections happening across the US. In today's episode, we discuss the primary election process, Joe Biden's approval numbers, and how these numbers impact the Democratic party's political strategy. 

Approximately fourteen weeks after the invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces hold 20% of Ukrainian territory. In addition, the US has approved a bill that earmarks $40 billion in aid to Ukraine. What's more, the failure to stop the outbreak of violence in Ukraine is indicative of the international system's inability to serve its own purpose. Thus, we explore the future of the multilateralism and political integration. 

In today's episode, we investigate the recent mass shooting in a grocery store in Buffalo. We talk about the broader culture of violence, proactive policy proposals for preventing such atrocities from happening again, and the cultural roots of such violence. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently gave his "Victory Day Speech," however he made no mention of the disastrous war in Ukraine. What's more, Putin offered several justifications for his war on NATO, which is an inaccurate reframing of the conflict for his own benefit. 

A leaked draft opinion in favor of overturning the Roe v. Wade 1973 ruling has some people feeling happy and others feeling anxious and angry. Today, we dive into the draft, what it means for American politics, and why the Supreme Court is gradually evolving into a political body. 

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has recently purchased Twitter. In today's episode, we cover everything that you need to know about Elon's vision and values and how he plans to change the direction and climate of Twitter. 

New reports show that 100% of Russian forces are on Ukraine's Eastern Front. To bolster the resistance, the US has pledged an additional $800 million in military aid and the European Council has pledged approximately $540 million USD. Will this be enough to stop the Russian forces in their tracks, or is it time to get directly involved? 

Putin is clearly an autocrat, running an engineered surveillance state based on a petro-economy. Well, considering the disastrous outcomes of the invasion thus far, one might wonder if there will be a coup or a massive social upheaval. To this point, how do autocracies fall, and what would a post-Putin Russia look like? 

Russian forces are regrouping in Belarus and parts of Eastern Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials are preparing for a "major" offensive in the east. Finally, Putin met with the Austrian Prime Minister today; this is the first meeting between Putin and a European Leader (outside of Zelensky). 

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is catalyzing a renaissance; a rebirth of liberal internationalism in the wake of a political crisis. In other news, German Intelligence officials intercepted a message in which Russian soldiers discussed killing civilians in Bucha "for pleasure." These comments highlight the brutality behind the invasion.