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Katie Harmon Journalism

Journalistic work for the Daily Free Press, the Boston Political Review, and the International Relations Review

The Daily Free Press •

The Revival House: The Real Winner of ‘Almost Famous’ – The Daily Free Press

Cameron Crowe’s legendary 2000 movie, about the fictional band “Stillwater” on the rise and a blossoming rock critic who travels with them on one of their tours, is an absolute inspiration to any who watch it.

But with many characters in the movie — all of whom achieve a certain level of success at the end — there is a bit of ambiguity in terms of who became the most successful.

But, after a close watch of the movie, it becomes clear that the true winner, the person who not only got what they
The Daily Free Press •

The Revival House: And its important role in keeping society in tune – The Daily Free Press

In the last three months, I have seen three films in revival houses across the country. It was blatantly obvious that there was no coincidence in the timing of these films re-emerging in the cinema.

The movies — Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds,” Michael Curtiz’s “Casablanca” and Mathieu Kassovitz’s “La Haine” — are all considered some of the best films of all time.

It is no surprise that revival houses are ecstatic to show them or how packed the theaters were for each of these films.
The Daily Free Press •

A perfect manual on preparing for 4/20 – The Daily Free Press

It’s that time of year! The day where stoners and occasional smokers alike spend their day getting high in a celebration of all things marijuana.

You might be wondering — especially if this is your first 4/20 celebration — what should I do to commemorate the occasion? How do you prepare for this magical day? It’s critical to be fully prepared so all you have to do is sit back, relax, and smoke a nice joint with your buds.

If you want some advice on how to prepare for this weed appreciation day
The Daily Free Press •

The Revival House: Yes, Jo and Friedrich did get together in Greta Gerwig’s ‘Little Women’ – The Daily Free Press

“I have nothing to give you Jo … my hands are empty.” Friedrich exclaims.

“They’re not empty!” Jo responds, and they passionately kiss under the umbrella.

These are the famous lines where Jo and Friedrich get together in Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of “Little Women” that made so many of us swoon in our movie theater seats. But unlike in the previous versions, dating back to the original book by Louisa May Alcott, Gerwig gives us a little mystery surrounding the moment: is it real, or is it ficti

A win for democracy and a defeat of raw financial power in the Czech Republic | The Intersection – The Daily Free Press

The Czech Republic just finished its presidential elections, and a victorious former NATO commander Petr Pavel will take office next month. On the surface, Pavel’s victory is not only huge for the Czech people, but also for the sanctity of democracy across the globe. However, this victory has great financial implications as well, as Pavel’s opponent Andrej Babiš was not only a right-wing populist, but a billionaire with major financial power.

Babiš has a net worth of about $4.1 billion accordin
The Daily Free Press •

The Intersection: Using the debt ceiling as negotiating power will not lead to anything good – The Daily Free Press

As of Jan. 19th, 2023, the United States has officially reached its debt ceiling of $31.4 trillion. Normally, Congress votes to raise or suspend the debt ceiling to prevent the country from defaulting on its debts, but not this year.

Right now, the fairly typical congressional agenda of raising or suspending the debt ceiling is in a deadlocked partisan battle, leaving the U.S. potentially on the brink of an economic crisis that will harm its citizens greatly.

To understand what is going on wit
The BPR •

Understanding the Tensions of the 2022 Arab League Summit

On , 2022, the 2022 Arab League Summit was held in Algiers, Algeria, where several leaders from across the Arab League met to discuss the current issues in the Arab world and potential solutions to these problems. This was the Arab League Summit to occur since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and came in the wake of several major world events, such as the Russia-Ukraine and the recent OPEC to cut oil production by 2 million barrels a day.

The major issue discussed at this year’s Arab
IR Review •

The Black Panther Movies Have Effectively Changed the Worldview on Africa — IR Review

A few weeks ago, the newest Marvel movie, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, premiered in theaters worldwide and rapidly became a sensation. Following the massive support for the first Black Panther film in 2018, the number sixth highest grossing Marvel film at $1.33 billion, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has grossed over $600 million globally, and continues a strong theatrical run three weeks after its initial release.

The success of these movies vastly changed the perspective on sub-Saharan Afr
The Daily Free Press •

Australia has taken on big tech, and that is a good thing | The Intersection – The Daily Free Press

Australia passed a law last year that forces Google and other big tech companies to pay for the news they receive out of the country, thereby acting as the first country in the free world to place financial restrictions on big tech.

For many of us living in the United States or other parts of the free world, this is unimaginable. I certainly had never considered the possibility of law like this being enforced. But with the clear success Australia’s results demonstrate and the growing negative i

Trust is broken all over the sale of beer at the World Cup | The Intersection – The Daily Free Press

The FIFA World Cup began in Qatar on Nov. 20, but controversy emerged long before the soccer matches actually started.

While there were a long list of issues surrounding the Cup’s location, there was one specific controversy that arose just two days before the World Cup began that could have profound economic consequences throughout the Middle East and North African region — Qatar’s decision not to sell alcohol and beer at World Cup stadiums.

Many MENA countries have been placing and winning b
The Daily Free Press •

An analysis of Brooks and Capehart | The Intersection – The Daily Free Press

“We make one final pre-election day turn to the analysis of Brooks and Capehart. That’s New York Times columnist David Brooks, and Jonathan Capehart, associate editor for The Washington Post.”

These words by Judy Woodruff always make my week, because it means it is time for another edition of Brooks and Capehart, a Friday night segment of PBS NewsHour where the conservative Brooks joins with Capehart, a liberal, to break down the political issues of the previous week.

This weekly political com
The Daily Free Press •

Hey, Democrats, it is time to work with moderates | The Intersection – The Daily Free Press

The midterm elections are coming up next week in the United States, and if you are like me, I am sure you are nervous for whatever the outcome will be. It is a tense time in the country right now, and it has been for several years.

There is a lot of hope for people on both sides of the political spectrum that their side will pull through and “save us,” meaning vastly different things to each side.

As these elections approach, there are many ideas I wish to share with people on both sides. Howe
IR Review •

OPEC from the African Perspective — IR Review

Global attention in the first week of October has primarily been focused on the decision made by an expanded group of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC+), consisting of several of the biggest oil producing countries, to cut oil production by two million barrels a day for the purpose of stabilizing the oil market. This decision sent shockwaves throughout the world, as this will likely raise energy prices, worsening the ongoing energy crisis due to the Russia-Ukraine War.
The Daily Free Press •

Forty-four days too long for Liz Truss | The Intersection – The Daily Free Press

Britain is back at it again.

Prime Minister Liz Truss announced her resignation last week after only 44 days in office. It only took her that short amount of time to throw Britain into economic turmoil once again and resign because of it.

The unfortunate fact about this event, along with its being the second bout of political uncertainty in a matter of less than two months, is how it seems that Britain cannot escape the drastic economic problems it has faced since Brexit.

What should Britain
The BPR •

A New Future for Iran in the Making

On September 16, 2022, a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman named Mahsa Amini was by Iran’s ‘morality police’. As most of the world fell into mourning, Iranians, both in Iran and in the Iranian diaspora, the long fight for women’s freedom in Iran against the government of the Islamic Republic. Subsequent protests have erupted throughout Iran. Many have been , the internet has been and police are on protests, but Iranians are still fighting ethnic and social divisions. The fact that Iranians conti
The Daily Free Press •

Meritocracy Cannot Exist in Big Business | The Intersection – The Daily Free Press

Can meritocracy survive in the world’s current political climate? This is the question I have been pondering for weeks as I have been thinking about my future going into the workplace one day.

Some say meritocracy is the only way to have a successful business environment, others say meritocracy is the enemy.

After looking at both sides of the argument, I have come to understand one main truth in all of this — whether meritocracy is a good thing or not, it cannot coexist with our current politi

A breakdown of Trevor Noah’s best political and economic jokes | The Intersection – The Daily Free Press

Last week on The Daily Show, Trevor Noah announced that after seven years he will be leaving the show to pursue other interests. If you are like me, you were not only shocked by this news, but devastated as well. Noah has provided me with some of the biggest laughs throughout the years and has always made me so excited to turn on The Daily Show every night and see him on my TikTok For You page.

Noah will be missed by many, and I thought the best way to honor him and his time on The Daily Show w
IR Review •

The Forgotten Islamic Republic: Mauritania’s Importance in the World —

When one thinks of an Islamic Republic, it is common to jump towards Iran or Pakistan, or even Afghanistan, which is a former Islamic Republic. These are natural conclusions, given the importance of Islam in the Middle East, with the Prophet Muhammed founding the religion in Mecca, and the religion often being identified with modern Middle Eastern culture. However, Islam is also prominent in Africa, especially North Africa, and there is one country that is often forgotten when discussing about t
The Daily Free Press •

Italy’s Elections Are a Warning to Us All | The Intersection – The Daily Free Press

Across the ocean as I write this, Italy is experiencing the consequences of their snap election caused by the summer 2022 Italian Government Crisis, which could significantly change not only the nation, but the balance of power across the European Union. While there are many issues at the heart of this election, including the European energy crisis caused by the Russia-Ukraine war, the biggest issue on the world stage is the continuation of a pattern of far-right populist parties rising up in po
The BPR •

Europe’s Second Far-Right Win, Where is Italy Headed Now?

“Pronti a risollevare l’Italia,” states Giorgia Meloni, the current front runner in the far-right coalition, on her official party’s , Fratelli d’Italia.

On September 25, 2022, Italy a snap election after the Italian Government Crisis in July led to the step down of former Italian Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, despite winning a vote of no confidence days earlier. The election will result in the next ruling coalition and the next Prime Minister of Italy, which, if the government does not dissolv
The Daily Free Press •

A Stock market crash could dictate the future of the United States | The Intersection – The Daily Free Press

Exactly six weeks until the November midterm elections in the United States, the Standard & Poor’s 500, a stock market index that evaluates performances of approximately 500 companies, dropped 4.3% in one day, the worst day the S&P has had since June of 2020 in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.

This drop was primarily due to the August Inflation Report from the U.S. Department of Labor, which announced that the consumer price index increased by 8.3% in the last year. The Federal Reser
The Daily Free Press •

The Intersection: The Effect of the Death of a Monarch – The Daily Free Press

The world received the devastating news that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II passed away last week at age 96 after a history-making 70 years on the throne of the United Kingdom and its realms. The moment the Queen passed, her eldest son, formerly Charles, Prince of Wales, became King Charles III, the fifth monarch in the House of Windsor.

News coverage about the Queen’s death has been abundant, discussing the details of the funeral and changes within the royal family — including updates about th
The Daily Free Press •

The Intersection: The Fiscal Republican is Gone - The Daily Free Press

The current political parties in the United States have taken many forms over time and did not assume their current shape until the 1960s. Republicans and Democrats switched back and forth on their ideologies for over a century before becoming what we knew them to be in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Such changes are a completely expected trend.

However, the Republican party in 2022 is no longer your grandparents’ GOP. Beginning in 2016, the Republican party of the late 20th century be
The BPR •

Israel Dissolves Parliament and What We Can Expect from the Fall Israeli Elections

On June 20, 2022, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett that, after losing a parliamentary majority, he would step down as prime minister, which initiated the dissolution of the twenty-fourth (the Hebrew word for the Israeli legislative body). Another round of elections is set to take place this fall to select the twenty-fifth Knesset. These elections will be the of elections to take place in Israel in less than four years, highlighting the intense political battle in the country. This battle i
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