Welcome

Dear friends of VTIPG and the Community Change Collaborative,

We share five articles each week that we find timely and meaningful that address significant concerns related to the state of our democracy and civil society. We aim to offer pieces that illuminate a wide array of dimensions of our country's policy and governance challenges and the state of social norms that sustain the possibility of addressing them successfully. Please note, the views expressed in these essays do not necessarily reflect the perspectives of VTIPG faculty or staff or of Virginia Tech. We also upload these articles and stories to our website. You may find the archive for this series at News and Opportunities at http://ipg.vt.edu.

If you would like to suggest an article for consideration, please contact the editor at the address below.

Our first piece is a Cardinal News article that argues that the tentative agreement to move the Washington Wizards and Capitals to Alexandria would benefit Southwest Virginia economically.
Our second selection, from CNN, argues that former President Donald Trump has found a way to go still lower in what has been a pattern of vile behavior, by attacking an active-duty service member, Major Michael Haley.
A third story, from BBC News, shows that the U.S. economy has fared better than European economies despite inflation and higher energy costs as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Our fourth article, from Vox, lays out a moral and strategic case for aiding Ukraine in its war against Russia.
Last, we feature a story from The Hill that describes how climate change is contributing to frequent poor air quality in the United States.

Brief synopses of these articles appear below. We hope the perspectives they offer encourage reflection and conversation!

Best wishes,

Billy Parvatam

VTIPG Communications Coordinator

pbilly97@vt.edu.

Photo: Here's what the proposed arena in Alexandria might look like, with Reagan National Airport in the background. Credit to Radford University.

Proposed Alexandria arena would be economic benefit for Southwest Virginia

In this Cardinal News opinion piece, Nancy Howell Agee and Heywood Fralin argue that the proposed deal Governor Glenn Youngkin agreed to with Monumental Sports and Entertainment to bring the Washington Capitals and Wizards to Alexandria ultimately would benefit Southwest Virginia. To start, they suggested, it would generate millions of dollars in positive economic impact for the Commonwealth and, in so doing, boost Virginia's economy. A share of that revenue generated would be available to Southwest Virginia and could help with funding the future infrastructure needs of the Fralin Biomedical Institute and Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. These authors also contend that the proximity of the entertainment district to Virginia Tech's innovation campus looks set to enhance the experience of the university’s students enrolled in programs offered at that location.

Howell Agee, N., and Fralin, H. (2024, February 7). "Proposed Alexandria arena would be economic benefit for Southwest Virginia." Cardinal News. https://cardinalnews.org/2024/02/06/proposed-alexandria-arena-would-be-economic-benefit-for-southwest-virginia/#:~:text=Without%20the%20arena%2C%20development%20at,revenue%20benefiting%20the%20entire%20commonwealth.

Photo: Then-President Donald Trump with NATO leaders in 2018. Credit to NBC News.

Trump does the impossible. He sinks even lower

Dean Obeidallah asserts in this CNN opinion piece that there is no bottom to former President Donald Trump's vileness. His attack on U.S. Army Major Michael Haley, the spouse of Trump’s GOP presidential opponent Nikki Haley, continues his history of ridiculing veterans and demonstrates that he is willing to attack active-duty service members. Obeidallah warns that Trump will only continue to offer even more cruel and despicable comments as the 2024 election approaches.

Obeidallah, D. (2024, February 11). "Trump does the impossible. He sinks even lower." CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/11/opinions/trump-nato-comments-michael-haley-obeidallah/index.html

Photo: $100 bill. Credit to Wikipedia.

Why the US economy is powering ahead of Europe's

This BBC News article examines why the U.S. economy has outpaced its European counterparts despite economic headwinds wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, including inflation. Journalist Erin Delmore credits the passage of the American Rescue Plan of 2021, which pumped trillions of dollars into the U.S. economy, as helping to sustain consumer spending despite inflation. Additionally, unemployment has remained below four percent and real wages have increased during this period. Both of these trends have also helped stabilize the American economy during a difficult time. Lastly, America's status as a net exporter of energy offset the nation’s reduction in productivity arising from the Russia-Ukraine war. Meanwhile, Delmore argues, European economies suffered the full brunt of energy price increases arising during the pandemic period.

Delmore, E. (2024, February 13). "Why the US economy is powering ahead of Europe’s." BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68203820

Photo: Ukrainian border guards conduct training in February. Credit to NPR.

The moral and strategic case for arming Ukraine

Vox correspondent Zach Beauchamp argues in this article that supporting Ukraine's defense in its war against Russia should be an easy foreign policy decision for the United States, as Congress considers a $61 billion aid package for that country. Beauchamp contends that although a failure to supply military aid would not result in an immediate Russian victory, if the war moves west, hostilities would also move closer to nearby NATO treaty nations, increasing the odds of a spillover incident that could trigger war between Russia and an American ally. Especially in light of this potential scenario, Beauchamp suggests that $61 billion represents a reasonable investment in protecting global security. In his view, assisting Ukraine in this way will ensure that America continues to serve as the "arsenal of democracy."

Beauchamp, Z. (2024, February 13). "The moral and strategic case for arming Ukraine." Vox. https://www.vox.com/24070998/ukraine-war-russia-us-foreign-aid-trump-congress

Photo: A playground in Northern Virginia. Credit to Northern Virginia Magazine.

Climate change is making it more dangerous for kids to play outside, report finds

In this article from The Hill Saul Elbein discusses a recent report by the climate analytics firm First Street Foundation that projects that by 2050, air quality levels, driven by climate change, will bring the United States back to where it was in 2004, reversing decades of federal efforts to clean up the nation’s air. Falling air quality has already increased the number of days children cannot safely play outside in many U.S. communities, and about ten percent of American households can now expect to address at least 1 week of designated "unhealthy" air quality as defined by the Environmental Protection Agency each year.

Elbein, S. (2024, February 12). "Climate change is making it more dangerous for kids to play outside, report finds." The Hill. https://thehill.com/policy/equilibrium-sustainability/4456878-climate-change-is-making-it-more-dangerous-for-kids-to-play-outside-report-finds/

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