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At the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, Turkey is a nation of eighty-seven million people at the crossroads of the world. Situated in both Europe and Asia, Turkey’s unique position allows it to serve as both a barrier and a bridge between the two continents. The nation’s direct access to the Mediterranean, Aegean, and Black Sea maximizes the strategic possibilities for goods and people to travel to Turkey, either as a final destination or as a midpoint stop on

While diplomatic immunity has long been a fixture of international relations, the practice does get weaponized in a manner harmful for many. Merriam-Webster: diplomatic immunity An international law that gives foreign diplomats special rights in the country where they are working. NOTE: Under diplomatic immunity, diplomats cannot be arrested and do not have to pay taxes while working abroad. Diplomats can be granted diplomatic immunity, which exempts them from the laws of a f

The English football club, Manchester City, has been found guilty of 114 out of 115 charges related to financial wrongdoing by the Premier League. On Tuesday, September 29th, 2026, the Premier League confirmed earlier reports that Manchester City had been found guilty of 114 of 115 charges of breaching the league's financial rules over a nine-year period. Such charges stated that the football club boosted its income by over 900 million Pounds between 2009 and 2018. An indepen

With 40 days until the 2026 Midterm elections, public discourse has emphasized the significance of the upcoming local, state, and federal elections. But what's at stake? On Tuesday, November 3rd, the American people will vote for all 435 members of the House of Representatives, 35 Senators, 46 State Legislatures, 26 Secretaries of State, 36 Governors, and more at the local level. Schools, housing, AI policy, healthcare, voting rights, public transit, reproductive rights, the

American college football has a long history of scandal, crime, and misconduct. The University of North Carolina team is starting the season off with investigations and resignations. Modern North American football has been a staple of American culture since 1869. Intense rivalries, televised spectacles, and controversial drama continue to be key components of the college football ecosystem. Penn State, Baylor University, the University of Michigan, and many other universities

The 2026-2027 El Niño weather event has arrived. As individuals, communities, and nations, how can we remain resilient during this period? Wherever you are in the world, I imagine you have been feeling the extreme weather conditions of 2026. Extreme heat, excessive rainfall, and natural disasters have become a staple component of the year thus far. These conditions will continue over the next few months and will likely intensify due to our current super El Niño period. What

We are not talking about bodybuilders. Instead, the illiberal and increasingly autocratic global leaders dismantling global freedoms and democracy. According to Ruth Ben-Ghiat, strongmen can be understood as a subset of authoritarians who expand their government’s executive branch until it overwhelms the legislature and the judiciary, leaving no checks on it. Does that sound familiar? Strongman political leaders are often democratically elected at one point; however, during t

Ten years ago, an information leak exposed a plethora of corruption, money laundering, and tax evasion enacted by politically connected individuals. What did that mean for global politics? On April 3rd, 2016, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists released the now-infamous Panama Papers, which they had received from an anonymous source. 2.6 terabytes of data (the equivalent of approximately 600 DVDs) containing 11.5 million confidential documents about more

Penn State and the College of Charleston. A decade apart, drug trafficking and drug distribution schemes continue to weave through American colleges and universities. Drugs have historically been a hot commodity on college campuses nationwide. Investigations over the past decade have spotlighted the pervasive work of drug trafficking rings on or near college campuses, and their operations tend to involve fraternities. Today, there are over 1,500 Greek organizations (fraternit

The United Nations. Parliament. Central Banks. Religious Organizations. Militaries. What roles do institutions play in the wider anti-corruption discourse? Although there remains no singular, official definition of the term, corruption can be understood as the abuse of public office or entrusted power for private gain. The actions of corrupt individuals affect millions of people worldwide, as they increase costs, reduce public services, extort individuals, and much more. Ever

Seven months into 2026, a wide array of transnational criminal activity has occurred across the globe, impacting a plethora of communities and jurisdictions. Photo Credit: Global Organized Crime Index According to the Global Organized Crime Index’s 2025 report, the global criminality score was 5.08 out of 10, a slight increase of 0.05 from the year prior. The 2025 criminality scores indicated that Myanmar, Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador, Paraguay, the Democratic Republic of the C

Yes, you are reading this correctly. The Patriot Games are real and apparently happening next month. In celebration of America’s 250th birthday, President Donald Trump has announced the first annual Patriot Games, which is a televised athletic competition and scholarship program. The Freedom 250 nonpartisan organization organized this event for high school students between the ages of 14 and 17, as they will compete in a series of athletic and mental challenges to win a $250,

Women in Male-Dominated Fields: Drug Trafficking, Money Laundering, and Cartel-based Violence In her book, Narcas: The Secret Rise of Women in Latin America’s Cartels, Deborah Bonello breaks down the myths, legends, and hidden accounts of the women involved with drug trafficking, money laundering, cartel violence, and a wider array of components of their region’s criminal enterprise. Investigative journalist Deborah Bonello details the lives and legacies of women involved in

Triumph, athleticism, community support, and national identity. How do these aspects of culture collide in our understanding of ourselves and nations? Beyond being an outlet for physical activity, sports have always been an entertaining pastime full of joy, excitement, and at times despair. Athletes around the world train and compete in arenas, on fields, on courts, and a variety of other unique venues. Their triumps and defeats highlight the immense passion and dedication ne

Billions of people currently live in countries plagued with corruption. The harmful components of corruption destroy lives and undermine human rights all around the world. Photo by George Pagan III on Unsplash Generally speaking, corruption is the abuse of a position of power for personal gain, which ultimately erodes the trust of an organization, community, or entire country. Corruption can involve anyone, including politicians, businesspeople, public servants, and members o

How a leaked memo from a British intelligence agency shined an alarming light on the U.S. and U.K.'s approach to the 2003 Iraq War. In early 2003, the British translator, Katharine Gun, leaked an NSA memo soliciting British intelligence collusion in eavesdropping on diplomats from several nations about to participate in the upcoming United Nations Security Council vote on whether to sanction a US/UK-led invasion of Iraq. On January 31st, 2003, at 12:16 am, the chief of staff

Corruption has maintained an extensive legacy in the ecosystem of South Africa’s political economy, with the ripple effects reaching its population of approximately sixty-five million people. Photo by Kathrine Heigan on Unsplash In 2021, Human Rights Watch reported that South Africa failed to take necessary steps to improve the protection of its citizens’ social and economic rights. Violent riots erupted due to the imprisonment of former President Jacob Zuma for contempt of c

With the 2026 Men's World Cup taking place in Canada, the United States, and Mexico this summer, how will geopolitics affect the upcoming global soccer tournament? Photo by Fauzan Saari on Unsplash Beginning on June 11th, 48 national soccer teams will compete across North America for the 23rd edition of the FIFA Men’s World Cup. Numerous stadiums in the United States, Canada, and Mexico will host a plethora of sports fans, players, coaches, and more over the next month and a

The "Wildest Show in the South" uses incarcerated individuals as a Roman Colosseum style spectacle in Louisiana. "Offenders compete in the Guts and Glory event."; Credit: The Angolite, 2018. The Angola Prison Rodeo currently holds the title of the longest-running prison rodeo — yes, you heard that right. Getting its start in 1965, the penitentiary’s rodeo arena now accommodates over 10,000 attendees in Western Louisiana. With events hosted once in April and every Sunday in Oc

Similar to the art, jewelry, and other luxury industries, real estate purchases have been used to move and hide illicit funds as a means of “washing” laundered money. Opaque financing schemes overvalued or undervalued prices, non-transparent companies, trusts, and third parties operating as the legal owners of property work together to camouflage the illicit funds of criminal actors within the economy. Although most illicitly financed properties are houses and buildings, any