By Suha Abrahim Karoline Leavitt, White House spokesperson, has announced 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico and 10% tariffs on China, which are to take effect on February 1st. These tariffs are in response to the movement of fentanyl and undocumented persons across the U.S. border. The White House contends that these countries are sources... Continue Reading →
Low-Altitude, High-Reward: Expanding China’s Drone Market into Kazakhstan
By: John W. Parks Following recent industrial trends, China has begun the expansion of an innovative market into the Central Asian region. Kazakh Invest, a nationalized investment company of Kazakhstan, signed agreements with two Chinese drone producers to build manufacturing hubs in the Almaty region of Kazakhstan. As of January 2025, Yesil Technology Company and... Continue Reading →
Israel-Palestine Experiences Relief and Worry as Fourth Hostage-Prisoner Exchange Concludes
By Abby Bedard Saturday, February 1st saw the fourth hostage-prisoner exchange of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal. 183 Palestinian prisoners were exchanged for three Israeli hostages, Ofer Kalderon, Yarden Bibas and Keith Siegel. Hamas handed the hostages over to the Red Cross in two choreographed events in Khan Younis and Gaza City. The exchanges went forward... Continue Reading →
Donald Trump’s Presidency Casts Shadow Over Ukraine’s Hopes to Retake Lost Lands
By Matthew Grace As President Elect Donald Trump assumes the presidency, his bold claims about ending the war in Ukraine “in a day” echoes a less than optimistic tune for Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine’s unaltered independence. This sentiment is also held by Ukrainian soldiers on the front like Sergent Dmytro, “Let the people in power... Continue Reading →
With No End in Sight, Myanmar’s Junta Extends State of Emergency
By Lauren Ho On January 31, 2025 the Myanmar military, or the junta, extended its state of emergency amidst its continued state of conflict. The conflict began in 2021 when Aung San Suu Kyi, the Myanmar national leader was arrested by his military. A state of emergency was promptly declared and catapulted the nation into... Continue Reading →
Oil and Drones in the Russian Ukraine War
By Matthew Grace Ukraine reported that a successful drone attack on January 24th, consisting of at least 121 drones, hit a Russian oil refinery and targeted Moscow, with Ukrainian claims to have damaged the Kremniy factory in Bryansk that produces missile components. The oil refinery station was in the Ryazan region, southeast of Moscow and... Continue Reading →
The Patterson Journal Returns!
With a new Spring Semester, the Patterson Journal thanks Jose Miguel Lopez Arroyo for his year of editing and welcomes Julian Fischer-Lhamon and William Crawford as the new co-editors. We also welcome our new writers: Sam Dantzler, Cora Kirby, Madelyn Williams, Suha Abrahim, and Lauren Ho. A special thank you goes out to our writers... Continue Reading →
Trans-Caspian Trade: Growth and Development of the Middle Corridor
By John W. Parks As war in Ukraine continues to damage Russia’s credibility and economic security, other Eurasian producers have been forced to utilize alternative avenues of trade. In response, China, along with Turkey, the European Union, and Central Asian states have dedicated increasingly more resources to the development and expansion of a bypass route.... Continue Reading →
Legal Accountability: ICC’s Arrest Warrants
By Abigail N. Bedard On Thursday, November 21st, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, and Hamas Commander, Mohammed Deif. In their statement, the ICC accused Netanyahu and Gallant of “crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023... Continue Reading →
Halfway There: Middle Kingdom’s Road Returns:
By John W. Parks As of November 2024, construction has begun on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railroad (CKU) inside Kyrgyzstan. The railroad will connect the Uzbek terminal of Andijan to the Chinese terminal of Kashgar, passing through several Kyrgyz cities and the Fergana Valley along the way. Leaders of these countries have championed the construction of this... Continue Reading →