Andrew Karpan – författare

Many Americans became aware of Russia''s web brigades during the 2016 presidential election, during which allegations of Russian interference came to light. However, Russia''s history of online meddling extends back to the early 2000s and far beyond just the United States. This volume explores the little known history of Russia''s troll factories and the role they have played in various political movements and events, as well as the factors that enabled this interference and the possible means of combatting it.

Though first introduced in 2003, vaping''s popularity has rapidly increased in recent years. Vaping involves the inhalation of aerosols and is generally considered safer than smoking tobacco, but little is currently known about its health impacts. Additionally, although evidence suggests that vaping can help curb tobacco smoking, there is also concern that it increases addiction among non-smokers, especially children and teenagers. This concern is exacerbated by marketing strategies for electronic cigarettes, which often seem targeted toward young people. The perspectives in this resource explore the facts that are currently available on vaping along with its relationship to addictive substances.

With cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin on the rise, many wonder if these digital currencies could be the exchange medium of the future, but what are cryptocurrencies and the blockchain technology that facilitates them? Blockchain technology involves linking a series of digital records through cryptography without the use of a centralized server, which when applied to asset exchange creates cryptocurrencies. However, there are various concerns about the ability to regulate cryptocurrencies, their stability, and whether they can be applied on a global scale. This volume enables readers to better understand these new technologies and the controversies surrounding them.

The rights protecting journalists and the press in the United States are a defining aspect of the nation''s democratic nature. What tends to be discussed less frequently is how today''s media environment enables or hinders a free press. Has the internet made the press freer or restricted it in new ways? How do issues like funding, the role of media conglomerates, and legal actions against journalists and publications fit into a free media landscape? These questions will be explored from varying perspectives in this timely volume.

In recent years, discussions about reparations for Black Americans have gone from the abstract to the possible. While critics claim that reparations are unnecessary because those who deserve compensation are long dead, others argue that in the years since the end of the Civil War, the United States enacted many harmful laws and policies that prevented its Black citizens from leading enriched lives. The viewpoints in this volume examine whether reparations are the best way to right a wrong, how other countries have handled similar matters, and how reparations could be executed on a practical level.