Tweeting Protest: Organization and Mobilization in the New Administration

“Call your Senators 202-224-3121 Demand Special Prosecutor&Select Committee investigation on #TrumpRussia #TeamOfLiars #TheResistance” With a handful of words and a sprinkling of emojis, an activist group that opposes the agenda of President Donald Trump charged on March 6 its tens of thousands of Twitter followers with dialing Congress. The response was substantial—over a thousand users retweeted … Read more

Artificially Intelligent Criminal Justice Reform

In the aftermath of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, and Freddie Gray’s untimely deaths and in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement and its numerous spin-off protest groups, one common message permeates America’s national dialog: the criminal justice system is broken. With these sobering anecdotes of unnecessary death and the ever-growing mountains of data … Read more

An Imperfect Union: The Case for a Second Constitutional Convention

It’s May 25, and the delegates to the Constitutional Convention have just taken their seats in Independence Hall. There is no doubt among the delegates that the present system of government is inadequate. The country is fractured, the Congress is indolent, and the people have little faith in the executive. The government is both undemocratic … Read more

HPR Talk: Episode 2, Summer 2017

For the second edition of HPR Talk, Senior Multimedia Editor Sebastian Reyes leads a roundtable discussion with Alisha Ukani, Akshaya Annapragada, and Saranya Vijaykumar on technology and various exciting applications thereof with HPR staff members who wrote about for the Summer 2017 magazine’s cover topic: The Cutting Edge. In the second segment, Sarah Tisdall talks … Read more

Shadow States: The Invisible Republics of the Russian Federation

On June 5, 2017, Montenegro became the 29th nation to join NATO. For the tiny Balkan nation of less than a million people, the hardships overcome in joining the international defense organization cannot be exaggerated. Less than a year earlier, the country reportedly averted a Russian-backed coup targeting the pro-Western government. Moreover, since their entrance … Read more

Carbon Fee and Dividend: Bipartisan Progress Towards a Climate Change Solution

Climate change poses one of the most serious threats to the United States and the world. However, Democrats and Republicans have yet to agree on a solution, or whether there should even be one. For years, advocacy groups have endorsed a carbon tax plan intended to curb fossil fuel emissions, the driving force behind climate … Read more

Science, Sensationalized: How the Press Undermines Research Funding

In mid-March, the Trump administration released its proposed budget for 2018. It included deep cuts to federal scientific agencies such as the National Institutes of Health. In its current form, the bill is unlikely to pass through Congress without a fight, as research funding has traditionally received bipartisan support. Yet these figures—including a staggering 18 … Read more

How Harvard Students and Local Businesses Are Growing Apart

Like many prestigious American universities, Harvard and the larger Cambridge economy have benefited tremendously off a consistent stream of tourist revenue. The local Cambridge and Boston economy has evolved to adapt to a visitor base that has now contributed over seven billion dollars. However, the University and business organizations like the Harvard Square Business Association have failed to … Read more