January 15, 2026

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Mackintosh To Examine the American Tourist for Westport Museum

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Associate Professor of History and American Studies Will Mackintosh

Professor of History and American Studies Will Mackintosh offers an insightful look at how the concept of “the tourist” developed in 19th century America in Chats on the Past, a free virtual event sponsored by Westport Museum via Patch. Mackintosh to discuss his book Selling the Sights: The Invention of the Tourist in American Culture (New York University Press, 2019). Learn how trends and cultural movements shaped the tourism industry as we know it through the years. More event info.

Larus Discusses U.S. Politics for the Times of India

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Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Larus

Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Larus

Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Larus, who is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global China Center and Indo-Pacific Security Initiative discussed U.S. politics with the Times of India. In the interview entitled Trump 2.2, Larus said “I would hope the world is not worried. Certainly, they might be concerned about some uncertainty going forward. However, it appears that President Trump has been pretty clear in his agenda both domestic and foreign policy.” View the piece. 

Other media mentions for Larus include:
Trump Secret Service Pick (WION)
“Well, first of all it is not uncommon for presidents to fill significant cabinet positions with their closest aids, people that they know. We know that loyalty is extremely important to President Trump,” said Elizabeth Larus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH-_vMtEAaU

Sainz Featured in ‘Ask the Expert’ for Vision Latina

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Professor of Spanish and Center for International Education Director Jose Sainz

Professor of Spanish and Center for International Education Director Jose Sainz

Professor of Spanish and Center for International Education Director Jose Sainz answers questions in an ‘Ask the Expert’ feature by Vision Latina about the steps international students, particularly from Latin America, should consider when applying to U.S. universities.  View the feature (in Spanish). 

Bonds a Panelist on Free Lance-Star Forum Discussing Data Centers 

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Associate Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds

Associate Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds

Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds served as a panelist in a forum held by The Free Lance-Star to discuss Fredericksburg data centers. The forum panelists include Daren Shumate of Shumate Engineering; Tracy Vargo, a principal partner at Stonebridge; Brent Hunsinger of Friends of the Rappahannock; and Eric Bonds, a University of Mary Washington professor and co-founder of Fossil Free Fredericksburg. Read more. 

Crawley Posts New “History on the Hill” Column for The Free Lance-Star

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Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus Bill Crawley

Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus Bill Crawley

Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus Bill Crawley posted a new “History on the Hill” column for The Free Lance-Star entitled “Mary Washington’s controversial ‘Wo-Man Contest’.” In the column he goes back in time to highlight an eyebrow-raising event, conceived by students in the fall of 1977. Read the article.

Gentry to Speak at ACES Luncheon

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College of Business Professor Lance Gentry

College of Business Professor Lance Gentry

College of Business Professor Lance Gentry will be a guest speaker at the ACES Networking Luncheon: Architecture, Construction, Engineering, and Surveying (ACES) Industries on Wednesday, April 16, 2024 at Fredericksburg Nationals Stadium. For more information or to purchase tickets see the April 2025 ACES Luncheon event page.

 

 

Farnsworth Comments on DEI for MSN and WJLA

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Professor of Political Science and Director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth

Professor of Political Science and Director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth was quoted by MSN and WJLA this week in feature entitled “Federal DEI workers placed on administrative leave following Trump executive order.”

The piece stated, “This is going to be a pretty significant impact for a lot of individuals, particularly in the Washington region, where the headquarters are often where DEI initiatives are concentrated,” explained Steve Farnsworth, PhD, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. “You’re looking at a number of people who may be looking at other jobs in the federal government. They may need to be transferred. That could create some dynamics involving bumping people in terms of unions.” Farnsworth expects unions for federal employees to file lawsuits.

Read the articles: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/federal-dei-workers-placed-on-administrative-leave-following-trump-executive-order/ar-AA1xGrrs
https://wjla.com/news/local/diversity-equity-inclusion-accessibility-officers-administrative-leave-president-donald-trump-executive-order-jd-vance-administration-washington-dc-united-states

In addition, other recent media mentions for Farnsworth include:

President Trump’s Second Inauguration (RTVI Television)
“It is clear the president has followed the plan he brought out during the campaign,” said Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington. “Throughout his time as a candidate and as a former president, he often talked about tightening up the border. It’s clear that is one of the key priorities he is working through  with the first round of executive orders.”https://www.youtube.com/live/8O3RVfcGcFk?t=510s

The Biden Legacy (El Observador, Portugal)
Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington, recalls the three major initiatives that Joe Biden successfully launched at the beginning of his term: “Dealing with the Covid-19 crisis, increasing infrastructure spending and reducing health care costs.”https://observador.pt/especiais/um-parentesis-entre-as-administracoes-trump-ou-um-presidente-com-obra-feita-o-legado-de-joe-biden/See Attached: Observador_JoeBidenlegacy

Who gets the last laugh? (The Economist)
There is a widely held view that comedy has an inherent left-wing bias, and in their book “Late Night in Washington”, three academics, Stephen Farnsworth, S. Robert Lichter and Farah Latiff, found that it did—at least after dark on TV.
See Attached: Economist Pol Humor

Trump’s first 100 days in office put spotlight on campaign promises, post-election rhetoric (MSN)
The first 100 days matter, especially for a new president,” Stephen Farnsworth, political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia, told UPI. “Even for someone like Donald Trump who’s been president before, it’s an important gauge to see how successful he is at converting campaign promises into policy developments. That 100 days will give us a sense of what those priorities are. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-s-first-100-days-in-office-put-spotlight-on-campaign-promises-post-election-rhetoric/ar-AA1xzWIF

Trump Sworn in as the 47th Potus (WJLA TV DC)
“Well, I think it was very clear that Donald Trump wanted to turn the page and he wanted to turn the page book to the key issues he ran on in 2024, 2020, and 2016,” said Stephen Farnsworth. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpWtrVV4x3I

Trump’s first 100 days in office put spotlight on campaign promises, post-election rhetoric (UPI; The Kansas City Star)
“The first 100 days matter, especially for a new president,” Stephen Farnsworth, political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia, told UPI. “Even for someone like Donald Trump who’s been president before, it’s an important gauge to see how successful he is at converting campaign promises into policy developments. That 100 days will give us a sense of what those priorities are.” https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2025/01/21/trump-first-100-days-greenland-canada-panama/8041737045260/
https://www.kansascity.com/news/nation-world/national/article298887215.html

What to expect from Trump’s first 100 days in Power (La Tercera, Chile)
University of Mary Washington political science professor Stephen Farnsworth points out: “The Future situation in Ukraine is very uncertain. The reports suggest that Zelensky has been effective in warning Trump of that reducing support for Ukraine would be bad for business Americans, who supply many of the weapons used in Ukraine and resupply NATO allies, who send their own weapons to Ukraine. Zelensky too has said that Trump does not want Ukraine’s problems damage its popularity in the same way as the withdrawal of Afghanistan hurt Biden’s approval ratings.” See attached: trump 100 dias

Trump reveals when tariffs will be imposed on Mexico and Canada as he floats even harsher trade action (Daily Mail; What’s New 2Day)
‘Canada is not going to become part of the United States, but Trump’s comments are more about leveraging what he says to get concessions from Canada by putting Canada off balance, particularly given the precarious current political environment in Canada,’ Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, said at the time.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14306593/Trump-reveals-tariffs-imposed-Mexico-Canada-floats-harsher-trade-action.html
https://whatsnew2day.com/trump-reveals-tariffs-imposed-mexico-canada-floats-harsher-trade-action-htmlns_mchannelrssns_campaign1490ito1490/

THE COALITION OF OPPOSITES (Le Nouvel Observateur, France)
Senator Marco Rubio, President-elect Trump’s choice for Secretary of State, represents “a rare case of a highly competent and experienced nominee on this team, one who will know how to attract the respect of foreign leaders,” notes political science professor Stephen Farnsworth. Rubio and a few other nominees are destined to appease the benches of the classic Republicans, Farnsworth said, while other choices will be more appealing to Trump’s MAGA supporters. See attached: collection (45)

Reviewing Biden’s Farewell Speech (CBC News Canada)
It’s important to recognize that America is a 50/50 country and the real challenge any politician has, Democrat or Republican, is convincing people who are not already on your side of much of anything, said Stephen Farnsworth. https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6614546

Spanberger and Earle-Sears neck-and-neck in fundraising battle (News from the States; Virginia Mercury; Richmond Free Press) “Virginia elections are often close, and the look ahead to next year suggests more of the same in the campaign for governor,” said Stephen J. Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington and director of UMW’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies. “The big challenge for these potential candidates is becoming better known across the commonwealth.” https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/spanberger-and-earle-sears-neck-and-neck-fundraising-battle
https://virginiamercury.com/2025/01/16/spanberger-and-earle-sears-neck-and-neck-in-fundraising-battle/
https://richmondfreepress.com/news/2025/jan/16/spanberger-and-earle-sears-tied-in-first-2025-gubernatorial-poll/

Spanberger and Earle-Sears neck-and-neck in fundraising battle (Virginia Mercury)
“All indications are that this is going to be a very close contest for governor,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington. “You can see that the lieutenant governor has been very effective in fundraising since you announced, but she hasn’t quite caught up with Spanberger who had a big headstart in terms of her campaign.”
https://virginiamercury.com/2025/01/16/spanberger-and-earle-sears-neck-and-neck-in-fundraising-battle/

Larus Comments on China-US Relations

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Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Larus

Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Larus

Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Larus, who is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global China Center and Indo-Pacific Security Initiative, told VOA Chinese in an email that the Trump administration will pursue an America First foreign policy “but will put China first in its foreign relations, which I call ‘China Prima’ (Prima: Latin for “first” or “primary”).” Larus’ comments appear in an article entitled “Can’t it get get worse? Outlook for China-US relations in the new year.” Read the article.

Other media mentions for Larus include:

Los Angeles Wildfires (WION)
“The issue of the fire hydrants is that wildfire fighters are fighting massive uncontrolled blazes in at least five different spots. Usually, to fight a wildfire it’s more water drops from helicopters not so much the local fire hydrant though, of course, the fire hydrants do play a role in this. So, when you have so much water being directed at wildfires like all over the LA area there is a risk of running out of the water, said Elizabeth Larus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUjO9X7H6gI

Trump, Tariffs and Global Security (NewsX)
Elizabeth Larus indicated that President-elect Trump’s proposed China tariffs are not about containing China but are an opening salvo in negotiations with Beijing over unfair trade practices, such as state subsidies of Chinese businesses. Trump also proposes to increase US military spending, with the intent to raise the cost of high enough to deter Xi Jinping from taking military action in the Indo-Pacific. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rbbr0NKcAEw

Wang Keyin’s Column/Yin Xiyue’s “Martial Law” Will Destroy South Korea-U.S. Relations? Ishiba, who can’t see Trump, feels insecure about the United States (Taiwan World News)
Dr. Elizabeth Larus, emeritus professor of the Department of Politics and International Affairs at the University of Mary Washington and president of E Larus Consulting, analyzed that Trump also selects people based on professionalism and experience, but the so-called “loyalty” refers to, When Trump changes policy direction, even if the cabinet does not agree with the change of direction, he must still be loyal to the policy. https://ynews.page.link/Nr7JN

Farnsworth Lectures on Presidential Transitions

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Professor of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth

Stephen Farnsworth, professor of Political Science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, recently presented a guest online lecture, “The Trump Presidential Transition: What is New and What is Not,” for the American Studies Program at the University of Warsaw, Poland. Dr. Farnsworth served as a 2024 Fulbright Distinguished Scholar at the University of Warsaw.

In addition, recent media mentions for Farnsworth include:

Virginia special election could decide control in Richmond (NBC Washington)
“The odds are that we are looking at a status quo,” said Stephen Farnsworth.
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/politics/virginia-special-election-could-decide-control-in-richmond/3807999/

2025 Virginia Legislative Preview (Commentary, FXBG Advance)
If you like legislative gridlock, then you have come to the right place, Virginia.
https://www.fxbgadvance.com/p/2025-virginia-legislative-preview?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email&triedRedirect=true

New poll indicates Spanberger, Earle-Sears in tight Virginia governor’s race (Virginia Dogwood; CBS 19 News; WWBT)
“The poll shows that, once again, purple state Virginia, is in for a pretty compelling election season,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in an interview with The Dogwood.
https://vadogwood.com/2025/01/09/new-poll-indicates-spanberger-earle-sears-in-tight-virginia-governors-race/
https://www.cbs19news.com/news/state/spanberger-earle-sears-deadlocked-in-tight-virginia-governor-s-race-new-poll-finds/article_3412330a-26d1-58e3-ad43-44279111f92f.html
https://www.12onyourside.com/2025/01/09/spanberger-earle-sears-deadlocked-tight-virginia-governors-race-new-poll-finds/?outputType=amp

Virginia elections signal no major shift in voter sentiment in a state watched closely for clues (The Seattle Times; Newsbreak; WFMJ; MSN)
Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, said unlike the special elections, Virginia at-large is more competitive, rendering the races a better indicator of where voters are nationally.
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/virginia-elections-signal-no-major-shift-in-voter-sentiment-in-a-state-watched-closely-for-clues/
https://www.newsbreak.com/wtvr-cbs-6-563678/3750373741389-virginia-elections-signal-no-major-shift-in-voter-sentiment
https://www.wfmj.com/story/52138648/virginia-elections-signal-no-major-shift-in-voter-sentiment-in-a-state-watched-closely-for-clueshttps://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/elections/virginia-elections-signal-no-major-shift-in-voter-sentiment-in-a-state-watched-closely-for-clues/ar-AA1xc1N6?apiversion=v2&noservercache=1&domshim=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1&batchservertelemetry=1&noservertelemetry=1

Young generations honor late President Jimmy Carter’s influence and leadership (WJLA)
“He saw a partner in the District. He sent his daughter Amy to public school, something that presidents do not do other than Jimmy Carter in recent decades. You see, of course, with Jimmy Carter, he worshipped at local churches. He was very much connected to the community at a time that was really, really, important for the District in the rise of home rule,” Farnsworth said.
https://wjla.com/news/local/thousands-come-out-for-second-night-to-pay-tribute-to-president-carter-thousands-turn-out-to-honor-president-jimmy-carter-late-tribute-funeral-procession-us-capitol-security-presidential-mourning-national-day-travelers-washington-dc-capitol-hill-natio

Special Elections-Loudoun County (WTOP)
Basically, what you are looking at here is a status quo special election. Democrats held the seats before the special elections and they held the seats after,” said Stephen Farnsworth.


Start of Virginia’s General Assembly session delayed because of Richmond water outage (Virginia Pilot)
“The big uncertainty going into the election today is the weather,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. “Will people get out and turn out in sufficient numbers today to match previous special elections in January? My guess is that won’t be the case.”
https://www.pilotonline.com/2025/01/07/start-of-virginias-general-assembly-session-delayed-because-of-richmond-water-outage/?share=sseowty2allawassegse

Trump doubles down on threats of U.S. control in Greenland as son visits country (Global News)
“There has been a pattern throughout Donald Trump’s career in politics and his business to ask for very extreme things in the hope that something less unreasonable will be part of an eventual compromise,” said Stephen Farnsworth.
https://globalnews.ca/video/10947886/trump-doubles-down-on-threats-of-u-s-control-in-greenland-as-son-visits-country/

Virginia’s legislative gridlock looms as Gov. Youngkin’s term nears end (WUSA 9; YourGV.com; Fauquier Now )
With a Republican governor and Democratic-controlled House and Senate, Dr. Stephen Farnsworth of University of Mary Washington said expect a legislative hurdle once again. “I expect a gridlock,” Farnsworth said. “The governor and the Democratic majorities in the legislature have shown little interest in working with each other since Gov. Youngkin first became governor. Year four will likely be marked with pushing things into next year.”
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/virginia-general-assembly-session-returns-this-week-with-gridlock-expected/65-601aa68a-b436-46ee-8cc5-30fa2cb4375d
https://www.yourgv.com/news/state/battles-loom-as-general-assembly-returns-to-richmond/article_c706ad92-cd29-11ef-9fbc-9b9e6e655be7.html
https://www.fauquiernow.com/news/government_politics/legislative-battles-ahead-in-richmond-as-session-kicks-off-this-week/article_84905fd2-ccff-11ef-8218-532f879fc2b8.html

Virginia special elections suggest no major political shift since November (Roll Call)
“You’re not looking at races that one would describe as swing districts or representative of larger trends in the commonwealth, much less nationally,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science and international affairs professor at the University of Mary Washington. “At most, you could say that the partisan divisions of November continue to exist in January.” https://rollcall.com/2025/01/08/virginia-special-elections/

Clashes over budgets, abortion and energy facing Va. General Assembly (WTOP; The Northern Virginia Daily)
Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, said that Democrats are unlikely to make many concessions to Youngkin during an election year when the governorship and all 100 seats of the House of Delegates are on the ballot. “The truth is, the Democrats have no interest in making Youngkin look good,” Farnsworth said. “From day one, there hasn’t been much outreach effort on Youngkin’s side by way of any olive branches to Democratic lawmakers. And they have responded in kind.”
VIDEO: Elon Musk and Donald Trump: Will the bromance last? (ABC Australia TV)
“It seems to me that this Donald Trump, Elon Musk romance is not destined to be for a long term commitment on either side,” said Stephen Farnsworth.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01-07/elon-musk-and-donald-trump-will-the-bromance-last/104793578

U.S. House Passes Government Funding Bill (CTV News Canada)
“This was a big defeat for the president-elect,” said Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington. “He engaged in this question to get an extension of the debt ceiling, and he wasn’t able to get it. He wasn’t able to get it in fact because a significant number of Republicans, members of Trump’s own party, said they weren’t going to go along with it.” https://review.bellmedia.ca/view/1373185395

Trump again calls to buy Greenland after eyeing Canada and the Panama Canal (Newsday; FOX 2 Now; The Minnesota Star Tribune; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Spectrum News; Los Angeles Times; WTOP)
Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia, said Trump tweaking friendly countries harkens back to an aggressive style he used during his days in business. “You ask something unreasonable and it’s more likely you can get something less unreasonable,” said Farnsworth, who is also author of the book “Presidential Communication and Character.”
https://www.newsday.com/long-island/politics/trump-greenland-norway-panama-canal-canada-r07657
https://fox2now.com/news/national/ap-us-news/ap-trump-again-calls-to-buy-greenland-after-eyeing-canada-and-the-panama-canal/
https://www.startribune.com/trump-again-calls-to-buy-greenland-after-eyeing-canada-and-the-panama-canal/601198423
https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-nation/2024/12/23/president-elect-trump-greenland-canada-panama-canal/stories/202412230066
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/triad/news/2024/12/23/trump-again-calls-to-buy-greenland-after-eyeing-canada-and-the-panama-canal
https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-12-23/trump-again-calls-to-buy-greenland-after-eyeing-canada-and-the-panama-canal
https://wtop.com/national/2024/12/trump-again-calls-to-buy-greenland-after-eyeing-canada-and-the-panama-canal/

Trump reveals who he wants to replace Justin Trudeau: ‘It would be so much fun to watch’ (Daily Mail, UK)
“Canada is not going to become part of the United States, but Trump’s comments are more about leveraging what he says to get concessions from Canada by putting Canada off balance, particularly given the precarious current political environment in Canada,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14226387/donald-trump-candidate-replace-justin-trudeau-canada-wayne-gretzky.html

Women lead the way in Trump’s second administration (Washington Times)
“One of the challenges that Trump’s press secretaries always have is the conviction that Donald Trump has that he’s the best messenger anyway, and so he tends to manage the public relations aspect of his presidency to a much greater degree than other presidents have,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a politics professor at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/dec/26/women-lead-way-donald-trump-second-administration/

Canada needs leadership to deal with a second Trump term (Niagara Independent)
Professor Stephen Farnsworth, author of the book “Presidential Communication and Character,” says that Trump makes such statements to keep his opponents off balance. “You ask for something unreasonable, and it is more likely you can get something less unreasonable,” he has been quoted as saying.
https://niagaraindependent.ca/canada-needs-leadership-to-deal-with-a-second-trump-term/

The White House of Palm Beach (Le Nouvel Observateur, France)
“During his first term, many people stayed at his hotel just outside the White House to do business with him or curry favor,” notes political scientist Stephen Farnsworth of the University of Mary Washington in Virginia. “He uses his business to political advantage by rewarding those who pay him for privileged access to him. In truth, Trump is a transactional president.”

What to expect from the 2025 Va. General Assembly (Virginia Business)
“What can be put off will be put off,” says political scientist Stephen Farnsworth of the University of Mary Washington. “Expect a session where not much changes. Everybody’s looking ahead to the next election, so they’re not really interested in doing anything that’s going to make their path to another term more difficult.”
https://virginiabusiness.com/inaction-packed/

Exit interview: Rep. Spanberger reflects on six years in Washington, looks ahead to gubernatorial bid (Inside NOVA)
Stephen J. Farnsworth, a political science professor and director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington, said Spanberger’s outreach to the ideological middle has been integral to her success in the “purple” 7th District. “She worked very aggressively at focusing on concerns in more rural parts of the area where Republicans are more numerous and basically did better in rural parts of the district than most Democrats usually do,” Farnsworth said. “Issues of importance to farmers, issues of expanding broadband, these are some key things that she focused on to connect with more Republican-leaning parts of the district.”
https://www.insidenova.com/news/exit-interview-rep-spanberger-reflects-on-six-years-in-washington-looks-ahead-to-gubernatorial-bid/article_df29b0d8-c4b2-11ef-975c-274a340fa020.html

Judge upholds Trump’s hush money conviction (CTV News Canada)
“There was no indication that this judge would not proceed with the sentencing relating to the conviction,” said Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington. “This conviction was a decision reached by a jury.” https://review.bellmedia.ca/view/364064656

America Pays Tribute to President Carter (CTV News Canada)
If you think about the former president’s life after he left the Oval Office, you saw a commitment that was extraordinary,” said Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington. “Most former presidents, they write books, they become consultants, and they figure out ways to give very profitable speaking tours. Jimmy Carter in contrast was focused on eradicating diseases, to building houses and to promoting human rights from start to finish of his political. It’s extraordinary record, one deserving of a great deal of respect.”
https://www.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=3056951

Trump has two years to cause real chaos and harm and only these people will be able to stop him (The Independent, UK)
Senator Marco Rubio is also someone who would be seen as credible on the international stage, says Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia. “I’d make the same argument about the treasury secretary designate [hedge fund manager Scott Bessent] who is somebody with a long career in Wall Street, somebody who has been very, very successful in business and economics, and somebody who would be seen as very credible in the financial community. So when you’re looking at Trump’s picks, they’re not all monochromatic, blind loyalists.” https://www.the-independent.com/us/usa-trump-hegseth-rfk-musk-b2669070.html

Legislative battles ahead in Richmond as session kicks off this week (Virginia Mercury; Yahoo News)
Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, said that Democrats are unlikely to make many concessions to Youngkin during an election year when the governorship and all 100 seats of the House of Delegates are on the ballot.
https://virginiamercury.com/2025/01/06/legislative-battles-ahead-in-richmond-as-session-kicks-off-this-week/
https://www.yahoo.com/news/legislative-battles-ahead-richmond-session-103037232.html

Biden’s Legacy (The Public Morality)
“The key thing to appreciate is the extent to which it is really hard to see in the moment what really the impacts are,” said Stephen Farnsworth.
https://soundcloud.com/the-public-morality/episode-346-stephen-farnsworth