Side Items
Gentrification in Action: The Guardian calls out Durham, NC as one of the US’s fastest-growing cities. The question is, as house prices go up, can the city prevent the displacement of lower-income residents? The resounding answer is, “probably not”. Like so many other US cities, Durham is experiencing an existential crisis brought on by high housing prices and the displacement of lower-income residents. The big question is how to avoid that fate, and it’s a question that’s being debated far beyond Durham
Turkish Election: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the man who has dominated Turkish politics for 20 years, is seeking to extend his rule for another five years as the country holds a presidential election this weekend. Erdogan is looking to secure a third term as president, adding to his three previous spells as prime minister from 2003 to 2014, in presidential and parliamentary elections that are widely billed as the toughest he has yet to face. The election will be held as Turkey is in the midst of a series of economic issues that have led to growing inflation and a deepening cost-of-living crisis
End of an Era: In her farewell speech earlier this week, Lori Lightfoot (the worst dressed outgoing mayor in America) said her administration “had been victorious” in its efforts to be equitable in serving the city. This is a correct assertion, if by “victorious” we mean “abject failure” and by “equitable” we mean “equally hated by every demographic in Chicago”. She will be missed, but certainly not by most people