Meet KiiiKiii: The K-Pop Group Ready to Take Over Global Teen Pop

By Nikki Reese | February 18, 2025
Welcome Back! count: 619... 6.0 min. Copy edited by Nate

Resilience & Mindset Mastery
International Law’s Endurance in the Shadow of Empire

Donald Trump's return to the U.S. presidency has reignited the "America First" approach, presenting new challenges to international law and norms. While his first term saw the administration reaffirming support for certain international principles, such as urging Russia to end its illegal occupation of Crimea, early actions from his new administration indicate a readiness to bypass or openly defy established norms regarding sovereignty and human rights.

Notable examples include Trump’s proposal for Gaza, which involves evacuating its population and reshaping the region, as well as statements suggesting acceptance of Russia's control over occupied Ukrainian territories instead of demanding full withdrawal. His refusal to rule out the use of force to take control of the Panama Canal or Greenland further exemplifies these tendencies. Combined with a retreat from international institutions and agreements, these actions reflect a broader shift in U.S. policy under Trump, one that challenges foundational principles of the international community and tests the boundaries of international law. In many ways, we seem to be sliding back, at least temporarily, to an era reminiscent of imperial dominance.

It is crucial to recognize that the Trump administration is not solely to blame for this emerging instability. Its actions may be a response to global challenges posed by Russia and China. However, there is a distinct difference between leveraging international law for political gain and completely rejecting it. When Russian President Vladimir Putin justified his invasion of Ukraine, he did so by invoking international law—albeit misapplied—aiming to legitimize an illegal act. A flawed interpretation of the law ultimately reinforces its authority, as seen in the 1986 Nicaragua judgment. In contrast, ignoring international law altogether is arguably even more dangerous, as it outright rejects the expectation of accountability to the global community, undermining the essential principle of sovereign equality.

Health
Trump’s Health Agency Restrictions Spark Concerns Among Officials

Canceled meetings, blocked websites, and limited updates on life-threatening diseases spreading across the nation are just some of the consequences of the broad and ambiguous mandates President Donald Trump’s administration has recently imposed on federal health agencies. These actions come amid a particularly intense flu season and new H5N1 bird flu infections.

“President Trump is suppressing critical health information that public health agencies and providers rely on to perform our duties,” said Dr. Robbie Goldstein, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. “He is jeopardizing the health and well-being of Americans.”

Upon taking office last month, the Trump administration swiftly instructed federal health agencies to halt external communications. While the initial phase of this pause has been lifted, emails obtained by CNN reveal that staff at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been told to secure multiple layers of approval before issuing mass communications or committing to public speaking engagements.

Entertainment
Meet KiiiKiii: The K-Pop Group Ready to Take Over Global Teen Pop

Last week, a new Instagram account shared its first set of seemingly random photos, accompanied by the caption "All my girls are glitter girls" and the hashtags KiiiKiii and "Who is KiiiKiii?"

The account, which has a nostalgic Tumblr-inspired aesthetic from the late 2000s, belongs to KiiiKiii, the latest girl group from the Korean entertainment company Starship Entertainment. Set to release their debut album on March 24, the teenage pop group surprised fans by dropping their first music video on Sunday for their prerelease single, "I Do Me." This unexpected release, which has already racked up over a million views, is a rarity in the K-pop industry, especially considering the company hadn’t even revealed the group's members yet.