EVENT: April 22, Virtual Election Cybersecurity Workshop

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You are invited to join a Virtual Election Cybersecurity Workshop for five states, KY, NC, TN, VA, and WV on Thursday, April 22nd from 1:30pm to 3:30pm.

Cybersecurity threats are evolving and disinformation tools are changing, so our workshop presentations have been updated for 2021. In addition, we will include presentations on new security resources available from government and industry. Attached is a one-pager that briefly describes our initiative and the invitation flyer. You can register either by clicking “Info & RSVP” on the flyer or via this link:

https://uscregional.eventbrite.com

This initiative is independent and nonpartisan, supported by a generous grant from Google. Speakers will include Gary Pruitt, President and CEO of the Associated Press, our national media partner.

For your convenience and safety, this workshop will be virtual. For the best possible experience, we suggest using Zoom. If you are unfamiliar with Zoom, please visit the Zoom Help Center prior to our event at: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/categories/200101697-Getting-Started

You will receive the Zoom meeting ID and password upon RSVP.

We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, April 22nd!

Thank you.

Best,

Shelby Bolen

University Liaison, USC Election Cybersecurity Initiative

Dr. Park’s Activity in the New Virtual Environment

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Dr. Park has taken advantage of the new virtual learning environment to deliver two virtual talks in the past few months. One was a a lecture series at SK University, Seoul, South Korea on Social Sciences and Machine Learning. The second, in February 2021, was a two hour long lecture on how to use computational methods to understand political violence and human rights.

Did You Know? 5 Facts on Contested Congressional Elections

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Six votes decided the 2020 U.S. House election for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District. Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks won, and she has been seated, but Democratic challenger Rita Hart is asking a congressional committee to investigate the results.

Here are five facts on contested congressional elections:

If interested, read more at: https://www.realclearpolicy.com/articles/2021/03/31/five_facts_on_contested_elections_770527.html#!

Student Debate, Sponsored by Pi Sigma Alpha

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Last Thursday, March 25, Pi Sigma Alpha, the Political Science Honor Society, sponsired a debate between the College Democrats, College Republicans, and the Young Democratic Socialists. The event was held virtually (of course?), and was ‘attended’ by approximately 70 people. Participants came extremely well prepared, were well spoken, and questions from the audience suggested a high level of engagement.

Overall the event was a huge success!

Some Political Humor: Last Week’s Headlines, According to Late Night Talk Show Hosts

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Jimmy Fallon (on the ship blocking the Suez Canal): “If you look closely, the ship has a tiny bumper sticker that says ‘student driver’ … I mean, do you know how stressful it is to parallel-park when there’s someone behind you? Imagine blocking a whole hemisphere.”

Seth Meyers: “During his press conference, President Biden said he supports changing the rules of the filibuster to require senators to stand and speak, like it was when he was in the Senate, quote, ‘120 years ago.’ Now, obviously he misspoke — 120 years ago, he was still in college.”

Jimmy Fallon: “There were a lot of questions today about immigration after Biden announced that Vice President Harris will be overseeing the challenges at the U.S.-Mexico border. It’s similar to how Trump put Pence in charge of handling the pandemic. When the going get tough, presidents are like, ‘You got this, right?’”

 

Dr. Kassab to Present at the International Studies Association’s Annual Conference

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Dr. Kassab will be presenting a paper at the International Studies Association’s Annual Conference: Power Vacuums: Climate Change, the Arctic and Great Power Competition
Friday, April 9, 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM.

The paper: Climate change, whether part of a natural process or man-made, is melting the polar icecaps. Once impenetrable, the Arctic ice gives way to a power vacuum, an area without any state authority or control. This melting reveals new opportunity for states seeking power. If the polar icecaps were to melt, shipping lanes would open new, less expensive, and quicker transportation opportunities. States of the Arctic circle like the United States, Russia, Denmark, among others, all have a stake in the game. States, like China, sees itself as a near-Arctic state even though it is thousands of miles away. This is because control of these shipping lanes, resources and strategic position are vital for a state seeking power. This paper will apply structural realism to explain competition over the Arctic in the next few years.

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