Ryan Farrick is a freelance writer and small business advertising consultant based out of mid-Michigan. Passionate about international politics and world affairs, he’s an avid traveler with a keen interest in the connections between South Asia and the United States. Ryan studied neuroscience and has spent the last several years working as an operations manager in transportation logistics.
Twenty states across the nation are taking unusual steps to punish people who default on student loans. Sky-high tuition, limited opportunities for financial aid, and an uncertain job market have led ever-growing numbers of Americans to enroll in college classes. Some start young, while others return to university past their thirties or forties. Yet few,
Hundreds of Jacksonville, FL, residents had their driver’s licenses suspended after receiving citations for pedestrian offenses. ProPublica, working with the Florida-Times Union, published figures delving into an earlier report. Between 2012 and 2016, some 2,000 individuals living in Florida’s Duval County were cited for petty offenses like jaywalking. Although tickets for crossing the street away
Today, the Federal Communications Commission voted to repeal net neutrality protections in the United States. Defying millions of critics and scores of angry legislators, agency Chairman Ajit Pai led an open meeting to cast a verdict on net neutrality. As was widely expected, the FCC’s commissioners voted along party lines. Three Republicans – Chairman Ajit
A five-day hearing led jurors to award $48 million to the family of Gizzell Ford. The 8-year old girl was found strangled in grandmother Helen Ford’s West Side apartment in 2013. Although county officials had received reports of ongoing abuse, investigations never reached any conclusive end. Pediatrician Norell Rosado, then employed by Cook County, was
A “potty-training” device called the WeePOD — sold by Target — is now the subject of an unusual lawsuit. The Riverside, CA, parents of a 3-year old boy say the “soft and cushiony” seat “nearly dismembered” their child’s genitals. The WeePOD Basix Potty Ring – marketed as providing toddlers a “sense of security during training
Democrats are trying to prevent the Federal Communications Commission from voting on the future of net neutrality regulations. Planned for Thursday, the vote determines a plan to repeal net neutrality rules aimed at keeping Internet access unrestricted. Most political analysts expect the repeal to succeed, with Republicans members of the FCC most likely to push
Two top-ranking Democrats said they won’t push a government shutdown in December if Dreamers aren’t saved from deportation. According to Politico.com, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi have shifted their rhetoric away from radical. While still insisting on drafting comprehensive and fair immigration reform, the two politicians have stopped trying
Less than a month after former physician Larry Nassar plead guilty to sexual misconduct charges, USA Gymnastics is claiming innocence in civil suits. The organization, which employed Nassar for years, asked judges to dismiss a host of lawsuits. On the same day, USA Gymnastics released a statement saying that it was “sorry that any athlete
The United States and North Korea have reached an improbable and unfortunate agreement. Representatives of both nations have pointed toward increased military activity across the Korean Peninsula. War, they say, is no longer just a distant consideration – it’s a possibility that’s quickly becoming real. White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster told a conference
The New Hampshire city of Manchester is paying $275,000 to settle a civil rights lawsuit from 2015. The state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union announced last Wednesday that Manchester was prepared to settle with Alfredo Valentin. Valentin, then 43 years old, was arrested under strange circumstances. After returning home one night in March