544 Days: An inside look at U.S. foreign relations through one reporter’s time in an Iranian prison

What happens when a civilian reporter’s life gets wrapped up in bilateral nuclear power negotiations? To what extent does valuing an individual’s survival compare with the impending threat of violent conflict? For Jason Rezaian, these questions were not hypotheticals to be debated among international relations scholars or on the nightly news. Rather, the answers to them were the only bridge between a life trapped inside an eight-by-four foot cell and freedom.

— Mia Young

Read More
Vaccine mandates: An act of compassion

After a long, demoralizing, and deadly few months, the Biden administration has taken on a new strategy for propelling the country out of the clutches of COVID-19. President Biden did the right thing in acknowledging vaccine mandates as the only possible way forward; implementing them despite significant pushback is a feat of both public health competence and human empathy.

— Mia Young

Read More
COVID-19, Joe Biden, USLindsey Gradowski
Saving face

While “honor” conjures images of strict, Confucian families of ancient China, the contemporary narrative is all about mianzi: a sociological concept that translates literally to “face” but means prestige and social position.

— Iris Peng

Read More