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On Nov. 5, Americans cast their vote for the 47th president of the United States. Election watch parties were held across the nation as the results came in.
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D
ear readers,
Politics can be an uncomfortable topic. Some are eager to share their beliefs and relish in the opportunity to convince people of their perspective while others cringe and avoid the topic at all costs. Whether you belong to the first group or the latter, politics, no matter who you are, have an impact on your life. From the cost of groceries, to what you’re allowed to learn in school, your vote matters.
We often take for granted our ability to vote. We think that our vote is a drop in the ocean, and it makes no difference if we cast a ballot or not. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Every citizen in this country, regardless of race, gender or religion, contributes to the fabric of our nation. Our combined differences are what makes this country truly great. The United States is called a melting pot of cultures, an amalgamation of every part of the world, from the highlands of Africa to the islands of the Pacific.
This is why we all must vote. We vote to protect this. Our vote, whether we deem it inconsequential or not, is how we fight for a better America. An America where everyone who comes onto our soil is treated equally because that is what we all deserve.
Though this election season has passed, let us all remember to make informed choices and vote to make our voices heard.
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land acknowlEdgmEnt
Here at the Long Beach Current we acknowledge that the school we report on is located on the sacred site of Puvungna, “the gathering place”. We are on the land of the Tongva/Gabrieleño and the Acjachemen/Juaneño Nations who have lived and continue to live here.
We also acknowledge the Gabrieleño/Tongva (pronounced: GABRIEL-EN-YO/TONG – VAH) and Acjachamen/Juaneño (pronounced: AH-HACH-AH-MEN/JUAN-EN-YO) as the traditional custodians of the Los Angeles region along with the Chumash (pronounced: CHOO-MOSH) to the north and west, and the Tataviam (pronounced: TAH-TAH-VEE-YUM) and Cahuilla (pronounced: KAH-WEE-YAH) Nations to the east.
We respect and value the many ways the Tongva/Acjachemen cultural heritage and beliefs continue to have significance to the living people and remind us about the sacred and spiritual relationship that has always existed here at what we now call California State University Long Beach.
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Trump’s second term is historic
BY ETHAN COHEN News Assistant
Republican Donald Trump will become the 47th President of the United States, defeating Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
Winning the vital battleground states of Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Pennsylvania, Trump’s party secured an Electoral College victory with 277 votes, overcoming Harris’ 224. Remaining votes are still being counted.
When sworn into office in January, Trump will benefit from a Republican majority in both the Senate and House of Representatives.
The outcome, where polls between the candidates leading up to the election were razor-thin, showed Trump pushed over the edge by tens of thousands of votes.
The results come on the heels of a campaign marred with civil and criminal trials, including two assassination attempts against Trump, highlighting the volatility of the current political landscape.
Trump’s historic 2024 win is the first time a president will serve two non-consecutive terms in office in over a century. The last was Grover Cleveland, who was the 22nd and 24th president, in the late 19th century.
The president-elect stepped onto the stage at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in Florida on Nov. 5 as
Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” played, greeted by a cheering crowd of jubilant supporters.
“We overcame obstacles that people never thought possible,” Trump said.
Trump then thanked the American people for electing him as the 47th president and highlighted the work he will do once he enters office.
“I will fight for you, your family and your future… every day I will be fighting with every breath in my body,” he said.
Trump later mentioned his election victory as “a win for democracy.”
Senator and Vice-President elect JD Vance took the stage briefly after Trump to celebrate his running mate’s electoral win.
“We just witnessed the greatest political comeback in the history of the Unit-
ed States of America,” Vance said.
He pointed toward the economic prosperity of the nation as one of the prime goals of Trump’s new administration.
Harris did not address supporters gathered at Howard University, her alma mater.
Instead, her campaign co-chair, Cedric Richmond, briefly spoke to the crowd after midnight, noting that Harris would speak publicly on Wednesday.
“We still have votes to count,” Richmond said.
Trump will now preside over a nation divided in his second term as president, with issues such as the economy, immigration, reproductive rights and foreign policy at the forefront of his policy platform.
SAMUEL CHACKO/Long Beach Current
Donald Trump, the 47th President of the United States, spoke to the media at his golf course in Rancho Palos Verdes on Sept. 13.
CSULB professors break down major Trump policies
BY JAYLYN PRESLICKA & ALEX GRYCIUK
Solutions Editor & Podcast Assistant
The Long Beach Current asked three CSULB professors who specialize in economics, foreign policy and reproductive rights about how President-elect Donald J. Trump’s policies will affect the American people.
Foreign Policy
Ezgi Yildiz, an assistant professor of international relations, specializes in global governance, international courts and organizations, human rights and ocean governance.
Yildiz discussed popular foreign issues including the Israel-Hamas war, China and Taiwan and Russia and Ukraine.
Trump has expressed his support for Israel as far back as 2017, when he recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and planned to move the U.S. embassy there from Tel Aviv.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, and Trump have had a rocky relationship since 2021, but reconciled in 2024 during a meeting about the conflict.
“Given Trump’s close relationship with Netanyahu, it is plausible that a return to power would see Trump adopting even more lenient policies toward Israeli government actions,” Yildiz said.
Trump has made vocal his support of Israel’s defense force and their efforts to defeat Hamas.
“This could include endorsing expanded Israeli settlements in the West Bank and asserting full control over Gaza, measures that would likely exacerbate tensions with Palestinian authorities and other Middle Eastern nations,” Yildiz said. “Such moves could further damage the U.S.’s credibility as a neutral broker in peace negotiations.”
Yildiz said despite Trump’s strong pro-Israel stance, his isolationist approach could lead to reduced military aid to Israel.
Since 2016, Trump has formed a strong relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping. That said, his policy to-
SAMUEL CHACKO/Long Beach Current Donald Trump, the 45th and elected 47th president of the United States, spoke about immigration and crime on Sept. 13 in his Rancho Palos Verdes golf course.
wards recognizing Taiwan as a country has caused issues.
“Trump’s confrontational policies toward China, especially through trade wars and rhetoric, heightened existing tensions and showcased a shift toward more explicit support for Taiwan,” Yildiz said. “This departure from strategic ambiguity to open endorsement could, if reinstated, embolden Taiwan but provoke severe responses from Beijing, including military exercises and economic countermeasures.”
If Trump does continue to support Taiwan, this may lead to implications of war during his second term.
Trump has expressed support for Ukraine’s independence from Russia, but has criticized how other European countries have handled the war.
“Trump and the Republican Party have expressed reluctance to continue the extensive military aid and equipment support provided to Ukraine,” Yildiz said. “If Western European countries fail to fill this gap, Trump might push Ukraine for a negotiated settlement that could include conceding occupied Ukrainian territories to Russia—a key goal for Putin.”
Trump has criticized the Biden Administration for sending billions of dol-
lars to Ukraine since the war began in 2022 and has stated multiple times that if he had been in office, the war would have never started.
Reproductive Rights
Lori Baralt is a women’s, gender and sexuality studies professor who specializes in feminist theory, social movements and women’s health. Baralt discussed Trump’s policies regarding abortion on a state and federal level.
“I don’t think he personally cares that much about abortion, but he did promise his base...before 2016, that he would help with the overturning of Roe by appointing the new Supreme Court justices,” Baralt said. “That was a big deal, because that’s been a 50 year movement to try to overturn Roe v. Wade, and they succeeded.”
Trump has argued that the issue of abortion should be up to states to decide. Throughout his campaign, Trump said he would not sign a national abortion ban.
“He hasn’t wanted to publicly state that’s what he wants, a national ban…I imagine this is an opportunity for people that do want that to put it forward, because they’re going to have control over most of the federal government right
now,” Baralt said.
Anti-abortion extremists have pushed for Trump to reenact the Comstock Act, a law that prohibited the sending of “obscene, lewd or lascivious” writings, or “any article or thing designed or intended for the prevention of conception or procuring an abortion.”
While Trump has stated that he does not intend to reenact the law, it is possible with a Republican majority in the House and Senate.
Economics
Jeremy Viele is a recently graduated part-time lecturer teaching Econ-101 at CSULB. Viele discussed the major topics of inflation, tax cuts and tariffs.
During his campaign, Trump focused on two major economic plans intended to improve inflation and increase tax cuts.
A major point of controversy has been his plan to increase tariffs in order to encourage more businesses to purchase from American manufacturers.
Inflation was a contentious issue on the campaign trail, as well as a selling point for many of Trump’s supporters.
“It has nothing to do with the President,” Viele said. “We’ve had high interest rates for a while now, and inflation has come down. Right now we are at 2.5% but we’re just above the target inflation rate that they shoot for.”
The proposed plan is to increase tariffs to 20% on imported goods from all countries. China will receive a tariff increase of 60%, and Mexico will increase to 100%.
“Consumers in the U.S. get a lot of goods from China, so for Long Beach specifically, it’s going to be the same,” Viele said. “I know Long Beach is like a major port for all these imported goods, so that might be an experience.”
Viele said that the one economic policy that got passed during Trump’s former presidency was tax cuts, which increased spending but decreased the national deficit.
“So we now had less tax revenue coming in, but we didn’t lower our spending at all. If you look at the graphs of comparing the deficit spending at the end of Trump’s Term versus right now, they were much higher,” Viele said.
No rent control or increased minimum wage to come to California
BY LINSEY TOWLES Managing Editor
While Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election dominates election coverage, California voters have decided on a handful of propositions on the 2024 ballot.
Five of the 10 propositions on the ballot have passed while two have been rejected. Three propositions remain up in the air as ballots are counted. Measures are propositions specific to Los Angeles County, appearing only on L.A. County registered voter ballots.
The results are according to The Associated Press.
Yes
Measure 2 Results: 56% Yes, 43% No
Measure 2 only appeared on ballots for voters registered in L.A. County and will only affect the county. As a result, $10 billion of bonds have been authorized to build and repair facilities at K-12 public schools and community colleges in L.A. County.
Prop 3 Results: 61% Yes, 39% No
Voters have said yes to California Proposition 3, which amends the wording of the California constitution to declare marriage a fundamental right.
The state constitution declares that “only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.” The proposition will amend the state constitution to match the U.S. Constitution, which recognizes the right to same-sex marriage.
Prop 4 Results: 57% Yes, 42% No
California Proposition 4 authorizes $10 billion worth of bonds to fund efforts to protect wildlife, prevent wildfires and conserve water. The proposition allows the state to borrow money from investors to fund climate-based projects.
Prop 35 Results: 66% Yes, 33% No
An existing tax known as the Management Care Organization Provider Tax has been made permanent begin-
ning 2027.
The tax, implemented in 2007 and set to expire in 2025, takes money from managed healthcare insurance plans to fund the state’s Medi-Cal health program.
Prop 36 Results: 70% Yes, 30% No
Theft crimes of $950 or more will now be categorized as felonies if the offender has two or more prior convictions.
For drug-related crimes, a new classification has been created known as a “treatment-mandated felony,” where the offender can be sentenced to mental health or drug rehabilitation treatment.
No
Prop 5 Results: 56% No, 43% Yes
This proposition would have amend-
ed the state constitution to lower the vote needed to approve bonds for affordable housing and public infrastructure projects from a two-thirds majority to 55%.
Prop 33 Results: 61% No, 38% Yes
The Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, which banned rent control, still stands. It allows landlords full control over rent prices and increases on single-family homes or any housing development built after Feb. 1, 1995.
Prop 33 would have allowed local governments to interfere and expand limits on rental rates.
Still being counted
Prop 6 Results: 54% No, 45% Yes
Voters are leaning towards no on a proposition that would ban involuntary
servitude as a punishment for a crime. Currently incarcerated people are allowed to be forced to work or face punishment for refusing to work while in prison under the state constitution.
Prop 32 Results: 52% No, 48% Yes No changes to minimum wage are expected to occur as Prop 32 would raise the state’s minimum wage to $18 an hour. This would have been in effect in 2025 for employers of more than 25 people and in 2026 for others.
Prop 34 Results: 51% Yes, 48% No
Polls indicate voters have said no to limiting how certain healthcare entities can spend money earned from a federal discount drug program in L.A. County.
Graphic by LINSEY TOWLES / Long Beach Current Propositions must get at least 50% of the vote among California voters to be passed.
Supernaw likely winner in Long Beach District 4 contest
BY JUAN CALVILLO News Editor
Incumbent Daryl Supernaw is set to serve a third and final term as the District 4 council member for the Long Beach City Council which includes Cal State Long Beach as the final votes are tallied in the 2024 election.
According to the latest information from the Los Angeles County Registrar’s Office, as of Nov. 7, the incumbent has a decisive lead over challenger Herlinda Chico. Supernaw garnered 59.14% of the votes, with over 11,000 votes in his favor. Chico received 40.86% of the votes, rounded upwards of approximately 7,500 votes.
In an interview with the Long Beach Current, Supernaw expressed his happiness with the election results, emphasizing his office’s ability to listen and respond to issues facing his district’s residents.
“I believe I clearly represent the people. I don’t have anyone else I answer to, and that message really rings true to the residents,” Supernaw said.
Chico spoke with the Current days after the election and thanked the over 7,000 constituents who voted for her.
She said that the total votes she received as a candidate in this election are sometimes the total number of votes received by all candidates in any election.
“We know the gap will close, but we don’t think that we can close that gap enough to overcome the loss,” Chico said.
She reiterated that she was proud of the campaign and the work done.
After the final tally and with an official win, Supernaw will serve four more years on the Long Beach City Council. At the end of his next term, he will have served on the council for 13 years.
Supernaw first won the 4th District seat during a special election in 2015 after incumbent Patrick O’Donnell was elected to the California State Assembly and vacated the seat.
During the 2015 election, Supernaw ran against Richard Lindemann and Chico, winning over 50% of the vote.
In his final term as a council member,
Photo courtesy of Campaign to re-elect Daryl Supernaw 2024 Daryl Supernaw is likely to be re-elected to his District 4 seat as votes continue to be counted. Supernaw said financial issues are at the top of his work on list over his next term.
financial, public safety and quality of life issues are Supernaw’s top priorities. He said the financial and public safety issues are linked, and he would not eliminate any element of public safety to balance the budget.
“Those are one of the things I wouldn’t touch in a budget, and that is police levels, firefighters, paramedics, their apparatus…” Supernaw said.
Along with the rest of the city council, he hopes to examine efficiencies and revenue generation in the coming year.
According to Supernaw, every council office gets the same amount of money from the city-wide budget. The budget information can be found on the City of Long Beach’s financial management section of its website.
District 4 is one of the larger districts in the city, but it does not receive addi-
tional funding for its budget.
Redistricting in 2021 changed the scope and size of Long Beach’s fourth district. A 2021 report by the Long Beach Redistricting Commission, utilizing 2020 census data, said the district had more than 51,000 people.
Supernaw said the 4th District retained about 40% of its total population, and an additional 60% of the district’s voters were new and had very little time to get to know him.
During the March 2024 primary election, Supernaw received 48.45% of the vote, with 6,481 votes in his favor.
Supernaw’s campaign website touted his connection to the communities of District 4, focusing on his public safety work and economic effectiveness in office.
According to his campaign state-
ment, his work in the council office budget has garnered $1.5 million, which has been redirected to various district improvements and community events.
He also noted his support of the Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Court and securing funds for rent in a homeless housing project to address the area’s homelessness issues.
Chico has committed to organizing and mobilizing the community despite not having a direct role on the council. She hopes to share her experience in working through bureaucracy with the community at large.
More information on the returning council member can be found on his campaign website, and information on District 4 can be found on its website, longbeach.gov/district4.
LA County’s new District Attorney
Nathan
Hochman
BY MAYRA SALAZAR News Assistant
California residents voted to elect Nathan Hochman as Los Angeles District Attorney and unseat George Gascón, who came to office in 2020.
Hochman is a former federal prosecutor, U.S. Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s tax division, LA Ethics Commission President and assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California. He was born and raised in Los Angeles.
Hochman ran his campaign as an independent with no party preference, stating the DA must be independent and not connected to any party or political ideology.
“I thought that nothing said to voters more how I would run the office than if I become registered as an independent, that’s exactly how I’ll run office, independent of politics,” Hochman said to the Long Beach Current.
Hochman previously ran for California attorney general as a Republican in 2022.
“I’ve been a centrist my whole life, a Democrat for the first 20 years, the next 20 as a Republican, but for running for
the DA position, it’s a non-partisan position,” Hochman said.
His reasons for running for DA focused on his disappointment in how L.A.’s public safety had worsened over the past few years.
“On my day one, we will bring back what I have called a ‘Hard Middle Approach,’ and it’s based on hard work because it involves looking at each case on an individual basis as opposed to a blanket policy we now have in place,” Hochman said. “It’s a rejection of the extremes we have seen in the last years like mass incarceration and pro-criminal
de-incarcerations.”
Going after criminals will be part of a methodology, and he said in order to live up to his promises as the newly elected DA, he needs to turn words into action starting on day one.
“I need to address strongly the culture of lawlessness that the prior DA’s policies has been promoting and emboldening and that starts on day one,” Hochman said.
According to Hochman, in order to gain the public’s trust, “you have to show the public that you’re listening to them, that you understand what they are going
through on a daily basis,” he said. “We need to make sure that law enforcement understands that it has a partner in the DA’s office.”
Hochman said solutions he offers are not focused on politics. The facts and the law will be what is used when making decisions in the district attorney’s office, and he plans to not inject political agendas into that.
“The criminals will understand that there is no more free passes,” Hochman said.
Hochman’s LA County District Attorney term starts on Dec. 2.
I need to address strongly the culture of lawlessness that the prior DA’s policies has been promoting and emboldening and that starts on day one.
Nathan Hochman Los Angeles District Attorney elect ”
Photo courtesy of Nathan Hochman for LA District Attorney 2024 Nathan Hochman will be the next District Attorney for Los Angeles County after winning 60% of the vote during the Nov. 5 election.
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Following the money trail on President-elect Donald Trump’s biggest donors
Data from the Federal Election Commission and Open Secrets reveal top contributors in funding Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.
BY DANTE ESTRADA Video Editor
Millions of dollars are raised every election cycle to fund a presidential candidate’s campaign. These contributions come from campaign donors who voluntarily fund a presidential campaign.
Following the Nov. 6 announcement that former President and Republican candidate Donald Trump had won the 2024 primary election, The Long Beach Current analyzed data from the Federal Election Commission and Open Secrets to find the largest contributors to Trump’s campaign in this year’s election.
According to the FEC, all presidential candidates who ran in 2024 raised $2.7 billion.
The Republican party raised $633 million in the 2024 race, while the Democratic party is reported to have raised $2 billion.
Trump’s campaign raised over $391 million, not including outside donors. His opponent Democratic nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign raised $997 million.
It’s worth noting that Trump relied more on outside groups to fund his campaign. The FEC decided earlier this year to allow financial contributions from outside groups in the election.
The majority of individual contributions this election went to the Republican party and Trump’s campaign.
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Businessman and heir to his family’s fortune, Timothy Mellon, is the largest individual donor, with around $150 million donated to one of Trump’s Super PACs, Make American Great Again Inc.
Having an established relationship with Trump, Miriam Adelson, physician and widow of businessman Sheldon Adelson, spent nearly $100 million on funding Trump’s campaign.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is among Trump’s top donors. Musk donated an estimated $118 million to America PAC, which he formed himself.
Linda McMahon, co-founder of World Wrestling Entertainment and 25th administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration under Trump’s presidency, was another of Trump’s top donors.
McMahon donated an estimated $23 million to Make America Great Again Inc. and Trump’s personal campaign.
The top three organizations that donated to Trump’s campaign include Make America Great Again Inc., which raised a total of $331 million, America PAC Texas, which raised $130 million and Preserve America PAC, which raised a total of $106 million.
Other organizations that funded Trump’s campaign include Save America, with a total of $91 million, Right for America raised $68 million and Turnout for America raised $25 million.
The top six organizations that donated to Trump’s campaign raised an approximate total of $1 billion, nearly $700 million more than what Trump’s presidential campaign raised alone.
SAMUEL CHACKO / Long Beach Current President elect Donald Trump spoke with the media on Sept. 13 at 11 a.m. in Rancho Palos Verdes.
CSULB students react to Donald Trump’s
BY CHRISTOPHER CHAN
Contributor
After months of campaigning and anticipation, Americans cast their final votes for the 2024 primary election on Nov. 5, with former President Donald J. Trump reclaiming the White House for a second non-consecutive term.
The announced results brought happiness to Emiliano Muller-Amezcua, an 18-year-old biology major at Long Beach State, who said that the Trump victory will help with inflation, war and support for a divided nation.
Amezcua said that he prioritizes what each candidate can bring to the people.
“When I look at a candidate, I look at what they will bring to the country because right now inflation’s at 21%, and I can’t afford anything,” Amezcua said. “If there was a war, I would need to flee to Mexico. My friends are going to the military, so war is very important to me. Also, we just have a lot of division.”
According to U.S. Labor Department data published on Oct. 10, 2024, the annual inflation rate for the U.S. is 2.4% compared to the previous rate increase of 2.5%.
According to NBC, Amezcua’s sentiments on the current state of the economy reflect a growing trend—a frustration many Americans are still adjusting to. Additionally, 39% of voters said the economy was the most important issue facing the country in 2024, according to the Associated Press.
Another student, Diana Del Castillo, a 19-year-old political science major, said the election’s outcome has dire consequences that target specific groups.
“As a child of immigrants and also as a woman who’s queer specifically, I understand the consequences that are going to come with Trump’s re-election,” Castillo said.
While Castillo highlights the issue of immigration, other challenges weigh heavily on her mind.
“Specifically with reproductive rights, gay rights and understanding how this is going to affect other people of color,” Castillo said. “It is very disheartening to see how blatantly hateful and explicitly exclusive all of these policies are.”
Castillo’s concern over the Trump administration’s policies is just one of many worries shared around campus as students process the outcome of the previous night, with fears that past challenges may
resurface.
Key focuses of Trump’s upcoming policies include “offering tax breaks for oil, gas and coal industries,” implementing a “mass deportation of undocumented immigrants through expedited removal transportation” and increasing tariffs on foreign countries, according to an article from law firm Holland & Knight.
Noah Ramirez, an 18-year-old English literature major, said the outcome has left
him feeling mixed emotions. He said he concerned for his loved ones and different communities.
“It was a mixture of anger and disap pointment for the country and how the vot ers let this happen,” Ramirez said. “I fear for a lot of my loved ones. Just in different spaces, of course, like immigration statuses, LGBTQ, knowing that some of my friends have to hide who they truly are.”
In the end, Ramirez recognizes that the
Diana Del Castillo, a after the election and questioned Trump administration
Emiliano Muller-Amezcua expressed happiness over Donald Trump’s election victory on Nov. 6, highlighting economic struggles as one driving force behind his vote.
Trump’s 2024 election win
he is different disapvotfear different statuses, friends the
next few years will be challenging.
“I could say that I don’t have high hopes. Now, with this being [Trump’s] last time running, he has more power. The only thing we have is the courts; that’s our saving grace. But I’m very, very doubtful about the next four years,” Ramirez said.
Editor’s note: Sentence on the accurate rate of inflation was added for clarity.
Photos
CHRISTOPHER
As a child of immigrants and also as a woman who’s queer specifically, I understand the consequences that are going to come with Trump re-election.
Diana Del Castillo Political science major
by
CHAN Long Beach Current
Noah Ramirez poses with a ‘Let’s Save Lives’ shirt on Nov. 6, after waking up to the news that Donald Trump had won the election late into the night. Ramirez worries about the next four years and what lies ahead for him and his friends.
Southern California resident, highlighted the concern many felt the morning questioned what’s next for her and her family members under a new Donald administration on Nov. 6, at Long Beach State.
ARTS & LIFE
Students share their stances on California propositions results
BY JULIA GOLDMAN Arts & Life Editor
Educational funding, environment protection, criminal punishment and minimum wage were among the 10 issues addressed in California’s 2024 election cycle.
The morning after election day, three students shared their voting choices and thoughts on the legislation shaping California’s future.
Full-time worker and English master’s student at CSULB, Alisa Lucero stressed the failure of California Proposition 33 as the most detrimental result to her.
According to AP news, 61.3% of constituents voted no for the proposition, as of Nov. 9.
The ballot measure sought to repeal a 1995 law that limits the power local government holds to pass rent control laws. If passed, Prop 33 would have allowed cities and counties to control the cost of housing and limit how much a landlord is allowed to increase rent.
Lucero and her family rent locally. Every single year, she said, their landlord raises the rent to the maximum amount that they can.
“I have to see my family struggle every single time the first of the month comes around - pulling from their paychecks, getting loans...” Lucero said.
Recently, Lucero’s mother, who she calls the “strongest person ever,” beat stage 2 breast cancer.
Together, the two work at the same warehouse which Lucero describes as stressful, with non-stop walking eight to 10 hours a day.
“I don’t know how she holds it together,” Lucero said, as she spoke about her mother. “The chemotherapy left her bones brittle, I think it’s called osteoporosis - she has a severe case. She can hardly walk, she spends her time putting her feet in salt water.”
Additionally, Lucero said that her father is unable to work, due to his poor
Around noon on Nov. 5, Long Beach State students line up outside of the
health and a history of incarceration.
“My dad is a wreck, I won’t lie,” Lucero said, as she discussed her father’s health. “My dad can’t really work because of his own health issues, and he only knows physical labor, he has no experience anywhere else. The only jobs available to him are physical, he was in prison.”
Working full-time in addition to her masters program, Lucero assists with keeping her family financially afloat. Lucero said it would have meant so much for Prop 33 to pass.
“I have a dream of owning a house, or some sort of property,” Lucero said. “I just think about the future, and how unfair it is. In a country full of diversity and different circumstances, I would think that it would be acknowledged, but nope.”
In addition to Proposition 33, Lucero discussed Prop 6, which sought to ban involuntary servitude as a form of punishment by introducing an amendment to Article 1, Section 6 of the California Constitution.
As of Nov. 8, 54.4% of California voters voted no on the measure, according
to AP News.
Lucero said that the debate around involuntary servitude being unethical left her lost.
“I hadn’t heard of that, in terms of my own family. Last time my dad was in prison, he worked in a fire camp and was a baker,” Lucero said.
As she discussed her family’s history with incarceration, Lucero said that her brother recently got sentenced to 20 years in prison, and that he was taking classes to lessen his sentence and get his degree.
Another proposition of discussion within the Beach landscape was California Proposition 3, which passed with 61.6% according to AP News as of Nov. 8.
By making amends to the language within the California Constitution that states marriage is only between and woman, the measure recognizes the right to marry, regardless of race or sex.
Sitting together in the courtyard of the University Student Union were firstyear pre-psych majors Linda Ramirez and Lianna Martinez, who both voted yes on the proposition.
“I was looking at all of them, and
that one stood out because I am gay, so I was like, that would really affect me if I wasn’t allowed to get married to anyone,” Ramirez said. “I felt like it was really personal.”
Before the election, Ramirez said that she had anxieties within her family structure. Though her family does know her sexual orientation, Ramirez said she wanted to know if they would vote for her and her right to marriage.
Ramirez said she was really relieved the prop got passed, despite the presidential election not going the way she had hoped.
Like Ramirez, the proposition was important and personal to Martinez, who also identifies as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
Beyond her own future, Martinez said that the proposition holds value for people who want to come to California to get married.
“I think that it’s a good statement that even though it’s been repressed against us, we can still conquer it legislatively through our system,” Martinez said. “We can continue to fight for things that are important to us.”
SAMUEL CHACKO / Long Beach Current
Walter Pyramid to exercise their right to vote.
Professors reflect on election results, open campus conversations
BY GRACE LAWSON Arts & Life Assistant
As the morning of post-election day dawned on Nov. 6, Long Beach State students across campus could be observed huddled in groups, expressing their thoughts on the result of the 2024 election.
While some lectures were canceled for the week, others shifted to sharing sentiments about election outcomesfrom presidential to California-based propositions to state officials and other national politics.
Though election results were freshly in the minds of the student body, professors were also weighing in on this year’s results.
Thomas Thrasher and Rebecca Cummings, two English professors who share an office in the McIntosh Humanities Building, agreed that waking up to the election results had been disheartening.
“I don’t know, a little disappointed - I wouldn’t say a little,” Thrasher said. “Primarily, [it is that] somebody who pretty much lies as he breathes, misogynistic, racist and so on, would be elected president. But by the same token, I’m not going anywhere, and I think the best thing to do is do whatever I can, which is quasi-legal, to resist.”
Both professors felt that the election results had left a dim feeling looming over the students and campus and felt educators should open themselves up to students as a resource of reassurance.
“I didn’t have class today, I’m meeting with them individually, but I want to address what’s going on with them and their fear and concerns and have that discussion, without it becoming another divisive discussion that makes it harder for them and makes them feel worse.”
said Cummings, “But I don’t wanna be all like ‘it’s all going to be good.’”
Across campus, in the Social Scienc-
and within her career field.
Today feels like a heavy, somber day. It’s nice to be in a department where we all don’t necessarily share the same thinking but similar sentiments.
Imahny Hundley School of Social Work professor
es and Public Affairs Building, Professor Imahny Hundley was also processing the outcome of the election.
Like Cummings and Thrasher, Hundley stressed the importance of the faculty as a resource for students who are looking for a safe space to talk to someone post-election.
“Today feels like a heavy, somber day. It’s nice to be in a department where
we all don’t necessarily share the same thinking but similar sentiments,” Hundley said. “So it’s nice to be in this kind of company, but yeah, today feels heavy.”
Hundley’s connection to this presidential election was more personal than previous ones, she said.
When it came time for her to cast her own vote, Hundley said she found herself thinking of many other people in her life
“Voting as a younger person is one thing, but as you get older you know more and you think differently,” Hundley said. “Also, as a professional social worker there are just things that matter to me because they impact the people we work with on a day-to-day basis. But also our own communities and our loved ones - that also plays a factor as well.”
The Social Sciences and Public Affairs staff have adopted an open door policy following Nov. 6 for students to visit without an appointment to speak to faculty.
As emotions heighten post-election, numerous Long Beach State professors remain open to conversations, serving as outlets for students to process their own developing feelings about the election’s outcome.
“Then, I have to teach, you gotta go on,” Cummings said. “That’s the most important thing like Tom said, you do what’s right in front of you, right now.”
GRACE LAWSON/Long Beach Current
A Harris Walz campaign sign outside of the Social Sciences and Public Affairs Building on Nov. 6.
MAGA miracle: Prayers answered for local Trump supporters
BY JULIA GOLDMAN & DELFINO CAMACHO Arts & Life Editor & Assistant
The re-election of Donald J. Trump was everything that 44-year-old Ofir Alvarez said he had ever hoped for and dreamed of.
“I’m speechless–it’s amazing history that’s been done tonight,” Alvarez said. “I’m just delighted and elated and beyond happy.”
Hours before the pinnacle moment, Alvarez was just one among a sea of attendees united by prayers, chants and cheers at the Make America Great Again watch party at Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles in Downtown Long Beach on Nov. 5.
Hosted by the LAGOP and the Patriot Precinct Project, attendees were greeted upon entry with a staggering Donald Trump inflatable and red carpet to view the last stretch of the 2024 presidential race.
Amongst walls lined with banners, flags and televisions broadcasting the race, attendees occupied seats within a room to the right of the dining room, before a large stage.
The stage featured a number of keynote speakers, like the Mayor of Palos Verdes and candidate for LA County District Attorney John Cruikshank, throughout the night.
First to take the stage around 7:10 p.m. was emcee and “Make America Laugh Again” comedian Scott McAfee, with a style of comedy that “is politically incorrect and in your face without the usual vulgarity of the left,” as described by the event’s invitation.
During McAfee’s 20-minute set, some audience members up-roared in laughter while others groaned. As other speakers began to take the stage
throughout the night, some attendees attentively watched while others mingled throughout the room.
Talking with her three friends and husband in the audience was 53-yearold Gabriela Casa, who came to the watch party in a desire to convene with like-minded people who share the same values.
A homemaker and volunteer for various Republican candidates, Casa said that she voted for Trump in 2016 as well as during this most recent election through an interview translated from Spanish.
Her support for Donald Trump, she said, comes from a liking to his work ethic, his respect for the U.S. Constitution and his pride in the United States.
“I was born in Mexico and I used to not know English,” Casa said. “I’m grateful for being in the United States. I’ve had a privileged life thanks to God and my husband’s work.”
Arriving in the United States in 1985 as an immigrant, Casa said that she learned English in part from her husband, whom she got married to in 1994. She attributes her citizenship to her husband, who is from the United States.
“Something else I like about Trump is that he is against abortion... that is the most important. I would never vote for a candidature that allowed abortion legislation,” Casa said. “The second thing is everything was better when he was president. I don’t like the border being open.”
When asked if she believed any of the allegations against Trump, Casa said, “Of course not.”
Similar to Casa, Lynn and Luis Javier also cite abortion and immigration as key issues that drive their support for Donald Trump.
Self-described as seniors in their 60’s, the retired married couple attended the watch party with their friends from St. Dominic Savio Catholic Church in Bellflower.
These socio-economic issues are the reason for their political participation in the election this cycle, the two said, as they said they were better off in Trump’s presidency in 2016.
The two have three adult children that they said can’t afford housing in California. Their son, Lynn said, had to move to Texas to afford a house.
In an interview at 6:12 p.m. on the night of Nov. 5, the two said that Trump winning the candidacy would mean a lot: more affordable groceries, more money for their hobby of trav -
Clockwise from left: As electoral college votes are projected to confirm Donald J. Trump’s place as the 47th President of the United States, celebration reverberates between local supporters. Local Republican partisans at the MAGA watch party on Nov. 5 celebrate later in the evening as swing states are projected to be in Trump’s favor. Self-described as a conservative Christian, Ofir Alvarez joins in on a prayer at the MAGA watch party on Nov. 5. The first of many, this prayer said, “We lift up and pray for all of our candidates... may they win this race for you, and claim victory for God’s glory.”
Photos by SAMUEL CHACKO
eling and a safer community for their family through a more secure border.
“The state is going to deport all the illegal people that come here,” Lynn said. “I’m not against immigration, because I came here; it took me like four years on a working visa and I’m a registered nurse [formerly]. I can contribute to America– not like these people coming here, the gangs and everything. What are they doing for us? They are draining our resources-- resources meant for the American people.”
Originally from the Philippines, Lynn said the only way to immigrate to the United States back then was to enter the medical field. Her original dream, however, was to become a reporter.
“That was my dream,” Lynn said. “You can not get out of the Philippines by being a journalist.”
As each hour crept by, with electoral votes climbing for the Republican candidate, attendees sat with eyes glued to the televised live-feed.
Once highly anticipated swing states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania were called in Trump’s favor, supporters erupted into screams of victory and celebrated in a united prayer and a dance party to the song, “YMCA.”
Overhead lights reflecting off of a wide smile, Alvarez held his hands clasped together tight towards his chest, where a canvas print of Donald Trump’s mugshot sat below the words, “I’m voting for the convicted felon.”
As a caregiver in a senior home, the moment Alvarez dreamt of comes after three election cycles of voting, his attendance to two rallies and his own efforts to reach out to the Hispanic community.
This election cycle, Alvarez said that he helped friends, coworkers and his roommate to register to vote.
In response to a question about his choice in attire as the electoral tally sat at 210-113 in Trump’s favor, Alvarez said he was proud to wear it because Trump’s prosecutions were ‘corrupt’.
“Thirty-four felonies, 100 felonies, I don’t care– they’re going to be overturned. He’s going to win,” Alvarez said. “I’m voting for Trump, and I’m proud to.”
The election, visualized
BY LUIS CASTILLA Design Assistant
Women made up 53% of voters. Of those women, 53% were Democrats and 45% were Republicans. Men made up 47% of voters. Of those men, 42% were Democrats and 55% were Republicans.
Most young voters overall voted Democratically.
Voters from ages 40 to 64 voted Republican while those 65 and above were even.
White and Latino voters made up the majority of Republican voters while Black voters were overwhelmingly Democratic.
The case for an end to lifelong Supreme Court appointments
BY JACK HASLETT
Sports Assistant
The United States is founded on checks and balances. It is founded on democracy. We have fought wars for it, we have made ourselves the self-appointed global experts on it.
Democracy exists because of people’s will. The public’s ability to choose and un-choose leaders gives people the power they deserve in the system.
The accountability that comes with the brevity of an elected official’s term in their respective office ensures that people can choose the leaders they believe are fit and either continue to support those leaders when the time or oust them when they fail in their duties or when another is more competent.
“If you want independence, if you want someone to be able to stand aside from politics… there’s got to be a way that those justices are unaccountable for a certain period of time,” Dr. Jason Whitehead, professor of constitutional law and Director of the CSULB Legal Studies program said. “But that doesn’t necessarily mean forever, it doesn’t
mean for a lifetime.”
The U.S is not a country of kings and oligarchs. We should not be a country of entrenched officials clinging to power.
An official with an endless term may feel little concern for their duties, feel no remorse for their misgivings and have no concern for repercussions from the people they serve.
Why then, is the Supreme Court of the United States, the highest and most important court in the nation, made up of people who are just that?
A council of justices blessed with an office until the day they die does not serve the American people. It only serves people with power, and if they are unfit in their duties — whether that be due to their conduct or their incapacitated health — it falls to their own personal discretion to give up the most powerful position in their profession.
No one person can be trusted to do that, quite frankly.
The Constitution states that a justice may serve the Supreme Court as long as they remain in “good behavior,” meaning as long as they are fair and uncorrupt in their actions.
This clause is intended to set bound-
aries of conduct for justices and remove any worry of their departure from their minds so they may continue to do their duties. It is meant to show that a justice can be impeached and removed from their position if they are found to be abusing it.
However, like any other impeachment process, the agreement and bipartisan cooperation to enact justified change remains next to impossible, meaning justices can remain in power their entire lives despite their conduct.
Lifetime appointments of the Supreme Court must end. The only real “check and balance” of the most powerful court in the nation cannot begin and end at the president’s power to appoint justices, save for an impeachment process to remove ill-behaving justices, which has happened once in the history of the nation.
That is a half-measure. If anything, such a system only begets political rivalry between differing presidents and attempts to nullify the sway of a court one way with an appointment of another. As each of these appointed justices lives out their terms, the political entrenchment only grows.
An alternative to holding the Supreme Court accountable is removing the appointment responsibility from the Executive Office, and instead having an independent council of legal scholars to appoint justices in order to remove political interference in their appointments.
I believe the Constitution, as vital as it is to the backbone of our legal system, lives as the nation lives and should change along with it. The world is starkly different than it has ever been before, and the laws and protections bestowed upon the U.S. by the Constitution should be interpreted in the context of the world as it is, not as it once was.
In that same way, the Supreme Court should be a living court. There should some turnaround in the court that is not beholden to one justice dying on the others.
This is not a nation of kings. The American people are not serfs left to pray that a position in the court will open up and be filled by an asset of the people and of legal precedent. We did not toss the tea into Boston harbor to let an ancient parliament clad in black robes and seated at gilded desks decide our fates for us. That cannot be our way.
Photo courtesy of FRED SCHILLING / Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States
Formal group photograph of the Supreme Court as it was been comprised on June 30, 2022 after Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson joined the court.
It’s time to place an age restriction on the presidency
BY DIEGO RENTERIA Arts & Life Assistant
President Joe Biden became president at the age of 78, and in 2025 Donald Trump will be inaugurated for the second time at 78 years old, joining Biden in the record for the oldest inaugurated president. Both presidents will turn 82 years old while in office, setting a new record for the oldest sitting U.S. president since Ronald Reagan when he ended his tenure at 77.
The recent geriatric nature of the presidency has promoted concerns from voters across the country. Will President Trump be physically healthy enough to complete his second term? Does his advanced age create a disconnect with a significant portion of the population he governs? And– perhaps most critically–is he mentally fit to rule for the duration of his second presidency?
It has become more imperative than ever to implement an age cap for the eligibility of a presidential candidate.
A study by the Pew Research Center in Oct. 2024 reported that 79% of Americans support a maximum age limit on elected government officials. This shows that many Americans are ready to have age restrictions on those who represent them.
Why hasn’t an age limit been implemented yet?
Article II, Section 1, Clause 5 of the United States Constitution outlines the requirements to become President of the United States: be a natural-born citizen of the United States, be at least 35 years of age and be a resident of the United States for 14 years.
Most recently, President Joe Biden’s mental acuity was frequently put into question during his presidency. In a poll done by NBC News in 2024 before he dropped out of the 2024 presidential race, 76% of voters expressed concern about Biden’s age.
A physically unfit leader as U.S. President puts into question the credibility of the office and eroded trust from the American people.
In addition to health issues, electing an older individual as president causes a disconnect between the younger generations, particularly as generational gaps in perspectives and ideology widen.
Following former President George H.W. Bush was a stretch of four consecutive presidents born in the “Baby Boomer” generation, with three of them being born in the same year. President Biden belongs to the “Silent Generation,” born before the Baby Boom era (1928-1945).
Imposing an age restriction would necessitate the ratification of a constitutional amendment. The last time the United States ratified an amendment was more than 24 years ago in 1992.
The reason for this stretch without a new amendment is the same reason age restrictions have not been implemented: the process of amending the Constitution is extensively demanding.
The requirements are a consensus two-thirds vote in the House and Senate, or two-thirds of the states can petition Congress to call a constitutional convention. The amendment must then be ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures or three-fourths of conventions called in each state to ratify the amend-
ment.
While not impossible, it is still a tall ask for governing officials to make the call.
Unfit to govern
It has been well-documented that the health of several past presidents was unfit to effectively continue their role as commander-in-chief.
Woodrow Wilson was bedridden for the last year and a half of his presidency due to a stroke at the age of 63. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was plagued by Polio and heart issues throughout his entire presidency. Ronald Reagan was rumored to have Alzheimer’s during his presidency but was not officially diagnosed until 1994.
There are currently at least six generations of people alive in the United States: the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, Generation Z and Generation Alpha. Of these, two of those generations have seen a representative from their demographic become President of the United States.
This age divide between the president and the population they govern causes a disconnect, leaving out the perspectives of younger generations and the ability to relate to many Americans.
Establishing an age restriction for the presidency would allow a broad range of generations to bring attention to issues that might otherwise be glanced over and bring back a level of confidence in the competence of the presidency.
This age divide between the president and the population they govern causes a disconnect, leaving out the perspectives of younger generations and the ability to relate to many Americans. ”
Graphic by DANTE ESTRADA / Long Beach Current Republican Donald J. Trump won the 2024 presidential election, making him the 47th President of the United States and the oldest president to be elected at the age of 78. President Joe Biden will be the oldest sitting president in office when he ends his term at 81 years old.
The fight is not over: A positive outlook on Donald Trump’s second term
BY JAYLYN PRESLICKA Solutions Editor
Whether we like it or not, Republican candidate Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election with the popular and electoral vote.
Despite the Democratic Party’s efforts, which included introducing a new candidate four months before the election, they could not compete with the president-elect’s strong personality, which he has cultivated since 2014.
The upcoming years will be hard. There is skepticism over Trump’s economic policies, fear over how he plans to handle immigration and by proxy, undocumented people living in the United States and LGBTQ+ rights.
That being said, there is a positive
outcome to the election results.
In 2016, people were angry over the same policies they are angry over now.
During Trump’s previous years in the White House, a transformed spirit rose from people’s worries.
They turned their fears and created a culture of unity and consistent scrutiny over every wrong Trump had committed. They did not stop fighting for change.
When President Joe Biden won the 2020 election, people became comfortable. With a Democratic majority in the House, Senate and Oval Office, Americans felt they could relax and that things were finally over.
Unfortunately, this comfortability had allowed people to lose sight of the fight they had worked so hard for four years prior.
During Biden’s presidency, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe
v. Wade, there were mass deportations and trans and nonbinary youth lost their right to gender-affirming care.
So much of what Trump and his campaign fought for occurred under the Biden administration, however, because a Democrat occupied the White House, people were not concerned.
Now, America is faced with the same issue. Trump plans to expand on his previous promises, and the Biden administration has opened the door.
Now that he is back in office, these issues will again be on American minds.
People will be reminded of his outwardly spoken policies to restrict Americans’ rights. Unlike Biden, Trump has a vibrant personality, and people listen to what he says regardless of their political background.
It is time to become angry again.
The unity that progressives once had
will resurge. It is not because injustices are suddenly occurring but because all eyes are on Trump.
The lesson learned is to avoid getting comfortable. It is crucial to acknowledge those who did not stop the good fight prior to Biden, as they will lead the transition into the next.
If there is one good thing that is to come from the next four years, it is that the spirit for change will reignite.
At the end of it all, Trump cannot run again. These four years will be the final time he circulates the political sphere, and his name will no longer appear on the ballot.
Unfortunately, it will not be the last time someone like Trump will be in American politics. His culture and policies will survive far past his presidency.
So, let us not get too comfortable once again.
Graphic by JAYLYN PRESLICKA / Long Beach Current
With Donald Trump back in the white house, it is more important than ever to fight the good fight.