The Baines Report
After watching the recent democratic turmoil in the United States with a mix of alarm and familiarity, neighbors in Latin America will soon begin their own busy season of elections. 2020 saw major electoral upheavals across the region, bringing about a return to democracy in some countries, while political disenfranchisement increased in others. As voters […]
Texas could become the latest state to enact same day voter registration. A bill filed by state Rep. Ron Reynolds, D-[District], would require two voter registrars to be present at each polling place on Election Day. The registrars would be able to register new voters, allowing them to cast a provisional ballot that day. In […]
Up to 80 percent of an individual’s health is determined by social factors. Black and Latinx individuals are up to six times more likely to die of COVID-19 and are up to seven percent more likely to suffer from chronic conditions such as obesity and diabetes than their white counterparts. The key strategy to alleviating […]
This summer the Austin City Council voted to implement police reforms and reduce the Austin Police Department’s budget by $150 million. On its face, these passages appear to address the demands of this summer’s social movements. The city council voted to restrict the use of force and approved bans on certain forms of lethal munitions. […]
By James R. Mismash and Nicholas J. Romanow Skepticism toward the military is easy to find on college campuses like The University of Texas at Austin; even in the absence of a nationally omnipresent anti-war movement as in the 1960s, anti-military student groups have thrived in recent years. However, college students who desire a just […]
Election Night was a “dumpster fire” for Democrats: the nail-biting presidential race when it should have been a landslide; the statewide losses when they were sure they’d flip seats. How is it that in 2020, the year of the greatest public health crisis of our time and the collapse of our economy, Republicans have secured […]
Hope is high, but so is anxiety. On Sep. 16, 2020, Yoshihide Suga succeeded Shinzo Abe and became the 99th Prime Minister of Japan, after previously acting as Abe’s Chief Cabinet Secretary. Suga announced in his Cabinet decisions that his first priority is tackling the spread of COVID-19. As for his other policies, he claims […]
It is no secret that the United States has one of the lowest voter turnout rates of the developed world. In 2016, only 58 percent of eligible voters participated in the presidential election. At the state and local level, that percentage of voters is even lower, and although the 2018 midterm saw record high voter […]
Proposition A is Austin’s latest and most ambitious attempt at developing a robust mass transit system. If approved by voters, the $7.1 billion bond will expand the MetroRapid bus system as well as adding two light rail lines, a downtown tunnel and a second commuter rail line to the city’s public transit infrastructure. Despite requiring a 4 percent property tax increase, the […]
The Baines Report’s student op-ed writing contest is open! All students at the University of Texas are eligible to submit an article. Rules and Instructions: Op-eds must be between 500 and 625 words. Op-eds may cover any topic. Co-authored articles are acceptable. Op-eds must be submitted by Nov. 6 at midnight. Early submission are welcome. […]