The majority of Brazil’s Supreme Court decided discrimination on the basis of gender or sexuality should be punished under the same laws as racism on May 24. Six out of…
This Week Around the World – May 26–June 2:
May 26–27 Brazil: Prison riots across four different jails in Brazil left almost 60 people dead in two days. According to The Independent, the first riot broke out around noon…
Academics stand against Brazilian government
17,000 professors and graduate students, including 11 from Portland State, have signed an open letter addressed to Brazil to protest President Jair Bolsonaro’s announcement that the government would “decentralize investments…
Jaguar bodies sold on the black market
Jaguars, classified as a near-threatened species, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, are facing loss of habitat by the sudden increase of mining and logging in South…
Brazil’s Collapsed Dam Creates Controversy
At least 121 people died and hundreds more are missing after a dam in Brazil collapsed at an iron ore mine on Jan. 25, creating debris that buried the town…
This Week Around the World – Jan. 20–27:
Jan. 20–21 Syria; Israel: Conflict between Iran and Israel intensified after strikes were exchanged between the two forces. Haaretz reports an attack on an airport near Damascus—which killed four and…
This Week Around the World – Jan. 14–20:
Jan. 14–18 Zimbabwe: In response to a hike in fuel prices, protests began throughout Zimbabwe on Jan. 14 in what has been dubbed the “stay-at-home” protests, according to The Guardian….
Bolsonaro against Indigenous peoples
Following his inauguration on Jan. 1, the new Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro assigned the task of certifying indigenous lands as protected areas to the Ministry of Agriculture, which originally fell…
Political plurality
While the United States has multiple political parties beyond Democratic and Republican—such as the Libertarian and Green Parties—the political scene is dominated by a two-party system. However, that may not…
This Week Around the World: Nov. 11–18
Nov. 11–14 Israel; Gaza, Palestinian Territory: In the largest escalation of fighting since the 2014 Gaza War, the Gaza Strip and southern Israel exchanged fire for some 25 hours between…
Brazil’s polarizing runoff election
Amid a polarizing presidential campaign, Jair Bolsonaro, described as the “Brazilian Donald Trump,” won the Oct. 28 runoff election with 55.3 percent of the vote. The two candidates represented opposing…