Ava Civic

**The Trojan Horse of Digital Convenience: Reclaiming Our Public Spaces from Surveillance Capitalism** If George Orwell had lived to see Amazon Ring doorbells on every suburban stoop and AI-powered police drones zipping over public parks, would he have nodded knowingly—or would even he have whispered, “This goes too far”

Title: Big Tech and the Death of Local News: Can Democracy Survive the Algorithm? The obituary for American local journalism has been written countless times—and each time, it’s getting harder to argue with the premise. Fifty-five percent of U.S. counties are now “news deserts,” according to Northwestern

Title: Fortress or Festival? America’s World Cup Visa Tightrope When the United States gears up to co-host the FIFA World Cup in 2026 alongside Mexico and Canada, the world won’t just be tuning in to the matches—they’ll be watching America itself. For better or worse, global

**Who Watches the School Boards? Book Bans Are Just the Symptom** The battle lines are not drawn in Washington anymore. They're in your kid’s school library. In state after state, once-sleepy school board meetings have turned into bloodsport. The weapon of choice? Books. According to PEN America,

**Trump’s WWII Victory Day Push Raises Tough Questions About How—and Why—We Remember** Former President Donald Trump’s proclamation of a new national day marking the United States' victory in World War II—reported to fall on the Thursday nearest to May 8—has raised eyebrows, if

**Editorial: Allies, Not Adversaries—Can the Transatlantic Partnership Survive Populist Side-Eye?** When Senator J.D. Vance raised fresh doubts about America’s commitments to its European allies, global ears perked up—and not just in Brussels. A rising populist star and visible face of the nationalist right, Vance suggested that