Ricardo “Rico” J.J. Edwards Jr.—Have you seen the movie 2012?[1] What took place in January 2020, when President Trump was informed about the danger of Covid-19, tells a similar plot. Many audiences can observe the 2012 administration’s silence about Earth’s catastrophic changes, which led to unnecessary deaths. In 2012, the President’s Chief of Staff failed…

Sawyer Burton—Although medical cannabis is now legal in many places, it is routinely prohibited in correctional facilities even if an inmate possesses a valid medical cannabis card.[1] No one has ever succeeded in requesting medical cannabis in a correctional facility under the Eighth Amendment. Even when the legislature explicitly authorizes incarcerated persons to apply for…

Mariah Harrod—In the early hours of August 21, 2020, a blackened plume billowed across the skyline of Corpus Christi, Texas.[1] Helicopters wove through the haze to rescue those injured by the “Refinery Row” explosion.[2] Earlier that day, a dredging barge had collided with a submerged natural gas pipeline, igniting the highly volatile methane inside.[3] Four…

Noy Kruvi —New York City’s globally renowned and diverse collection of restaurants makes it one of the world’s top culinary destinations. Economically, the industry contributes billions of dollars to the City’s tax revenue annually.[1] The industry had approximately 23,650 restaurants in 2019, with 317,800 jobs, paid $10.7 billion in total wages, and generated $27 billion in…

Mary Franco—Time and again marginalized neighborhoods, often communities of color or low-income communities, bear the brunt of local pollution due to historic placement of high-polluting power plants.[1] In particular, fossil fuel peaker plants expose nearby low-income and minority communities, or environmental justice (EJ) communities, to disproportionate amounts of particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide.[2]…

Kijana Plenderleith—The LGBTQ+ “panic” defense allows “a jury to find that a victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity/expression is to blame for a defendant’s violent reaction, including murder.”[1] Eleven states have banned the use of the LGBTQ+ panic defense; nine more have proposed legislation doing the same. However, not all states that have enacted this…

Madison Prokott—The Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River Basin hold twenty-one percent of the world’s fresh water, bring in billions of dollars to the region annually, and provide water to over 30 million people for uses ranging from drinking and recreation to industry.[1] The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Resources Compact (“Great Lakes Compact”…