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1 week ago | 
gatewayjr.org | Elizabeth Tharakan
The number of full-time statehouse reporters who cover capital cities has declined 34% since 2014. To fill this gap, college students are providing a substantial amount of statehouse coverage, including in Illinois and Missouri. There are now 34 university- or college-led statehouse reporting initiatives in 30 states across the country, according to the University of Vermont Center for Community News.
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1 month ago | 
gatewayjr.org | Elizabeth Tharakan
Iowa is one of the leading states for book bans in America, second only to Florida, according to PEN America. Earlier this year, Iowa’s state Board of Education adopted the rules for a sweeping 2023 education law. The law — and the rules that enforce it — ban “sexual content” in school library books and require them to be “age appropriate.”The law also bans both discussion and instruction through sixth grade pertaining to gender identity and sexual orientation.
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2 months ago | 
gatewayjr.org | Elizabeth Tharakan
The Marshall Project opened a local nonprofit newsroom in St. Louis to support local media with investigative and data journalism about the criminal justice system. St. Louis is the third city in the New York-based Marshall Project’s local network. The other two are Clevaland and Jackson, Mississippi. “This newsroom is several years in the making. Over the last 20 years, you’ve seen a decrease in manpower for the states.
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Feb 6, 2025 | 
gatewayjr.org | Elizabeth Tharakan
National news organizations embolden President Donald Trump to sue them when they pay out million dollar settlements to Trump when his legal claims are weak and probably would fail in court. That is the consensus of media lawyers and scholars. The media organizations are surrendering the legal protections that New York Times v. Sullivan offers in defamation cases and the further protections of anti-SLAPP laws protecting against frivolous lawsuits.
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Jan 27, 2025 | 
elizabeththarakan.wordpress.com | Elizabeth Tharakan
I am a professor who gets mistaken for a student. People with dark complexions age well because the melanin pigmentation protects their skin from the sun. I know I still look young. But on January 27, 2025, I will celebrate my fortieth birthday. What does forty look like for others? In honor of this milestone, I pose the question, “Would you rather have great ideas, great friends, or great love?” I’ve had great ideas and great friends up to this day , but great love evades me.
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Dec 1, 2024 | 
elizabeththarakan.wordpress.com | Elizabeth Tharakan
When Thanksgiving 2024 rolled around, both my ex-boyfriend Gabriel and I received time off from work for break. We decided to make the most of the opportunity by planning a vacation. I had the idea that we take my brand-new Subaru on a road trip, and Gabe decided he’d like to go to a major national park. When our forces combined, we designed an itinerary for a trip to and from Yellowstone National Park that would include stops at Mount Rushmore and Wall’s Drug Store in South Dakota.
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Jul 11, 2024 | 
elizabeththarakan.wordpress.com | Elizabeth Tharakan
Much like two lovers in the night sharing a kiss before departure, tonight’s Newman Bible study discussion was to be savored and not rushed. Something that’s been on my mind lately is whether it would be possible to have a happy, fulfilling life without love. Carrie Fisher, the bipolar actress who played Princess Leia in Star Wars once said, “Take that broken heart and turn it into art.” So I wanted to lead an open conversation with other Christians on this question in my thoughts.
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Apr 23, 2024 | 
elizabeththarakan.wordpress.com | Elizabeth Tharakan
I am single and ready to mingle. But the spouse that I seek is not what most women search for. Rather than searching for an eligible bachelor who can treat me to dinner, buy me gifts, and generally serve as a sugar daddy by impressing me with his wealth, I seek to be the provider. Instead, I want my partner to perform acts of service including driving me around and cooking for me. I make a decent salary as a recovering lawyer turned PhD student. I have signed up to lease a crimson 2024 Subaru Legacy.
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Mar 21, 2024 | 
hel.news | Elizabeth Tharakan
By ELIZABETH THARAKANA New Jersey appellate court has ruled in favor of Bank of America, N.A., in a case where the financial institution dismissed a foreclosure action on a defaulted home-equity line of credit and instead filed a breach-of-contract action. In 2007, plaintiff BofA and defendants Mariya and Aleksey Sharnova executed a HELOC agreement and disclosure statement. The agreement was secured by a mortgage and governed the loan.
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Mar 1, 2024 | 
elizabeththarakan.wordpress.com | Elizabeth Tharakan
“In my mind I’m gone to Carolina. Can’t you see the sunshine? Can’t you just feel the moonshine? Ain’t it like a friend of mine to hit me from behind? When I’m gone to Carolina in my mind?”– James TaylorSpring has finally sprung. I find myself enjoying the verdant beauty of Charlotte today, having taken a bus trip from Durham for the weekend. I had decided to attend two networking events with the Mecklenburg County Bar Association.
