Cohen assails Trump before Congress

Michael Cohen, President Trump's former attorney, testified before Congress on February 27. Almost immediately, the lawyer unraveled a very degrading image of the President-- calling him a racist conman who is nothing but a pathological liar. Cohen openly admitted to covering up, and lying to congress, regarding several of Mr. Trump's sneaky operations. These operations include: making secret payment to a former mistress of the presidents, and lying to his wife Melania. Cohen even went as far as presenting a check that Mr. Trump allegedly wrote as "hush money" towards this disguised cause. As a result, Cohen has been completely ridiculed and belittled by the republican party. Still, Cohen will serve a 3 year prison sentence on several felony offenses.

By: Jocelyne Flores
https://www.apnews.com/47853fad938043b58cf5710cef106af7

Nigerian leader appeals for unity as challenger rejects vote

By: Iselin Brady

Muhammadu Buhari was elected for his second term as the President of Nigeria, winning by almost 4 million votes. Atiku Abubakar, opposition in the election, claimed that the election was illegitimate. He referenced the unusually high turnout, saying they were bribed or threatened to vote a certain way. There were other unusual events in the election, such as it opening a week later than it should have and other delays in opening certain polling stations. Additionally, at least 53 people were killed by an extremist group. Several world leaders, such as British Prime Minister Theresa May and the leaders of Kenya, Ghana, Senegal, and Niger have given praise to Buhari, showing they believe he is the true President.
Rejection of election results are very common in Nigeria. Buhari has actually challenged a presidential election he lost in the past for months.
Unlike the recent and controversial Venezuelan election, Nigeria has been generally peaceful after Buhari was announced the winner. This does not mean, however, that all citizens agree the election was fair. There have been citizens that say it was obvious the election was rigged, but, according to a civil rights activist, most of those individuals are not interested in going to court because they are more concerned with getting by during this time of economic hardship.

https://www.apnews.com/f1707dcc9f414a0596b0b17215371861

"Arrogant" Jews brought on Holocaust

Jean de Dieu Momo made an appalling Holocaust reference and suggestion on TV. Momo explained that Kamto is leading the Bamileke people in the same direction and that a leader must know how and where to lead their people. Momo says the Jewish we the most economically stable and powerful, so they were arrogant. They were arrogant to the point of German frustration, and Hitler came along and into power, and he put them in gas chambers. The Embassy of Israel in Cameroon has spoken out and has described their feelings of shock and absolute disappointment in the antisemitic comments.


https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/cameroon-holocaust-jews-antisemitism-deputy-justice-minister-israel-apology-a8767221.html

posted by Milia Harris

Mohammad Javad Zarif: Iran's foreign minister anounces resignation

Posted by Olivia Acanfora


Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif,  recently unexpectedly announced his resignation through his Instagram. Zarif was educated in the U.S. and has a PhD in international law from the University of Denver. Prior to becoming foreign minister in 2013, Zarif was Iran's UN ambassador. He became foreign minister at the same time president Hassan Rouhani was elected, when the president promised a more moderate and outward facing Iran. Zarif spearheaded the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran , the UK, France, China, Russia, Germany, and the U.S. Trump has declared the deal to be insufficient to curb Iranian nuclear activity and has announced leaving the agreement. Since then, Zarif was working to keep the deal alive. In his absence it will be interesting to see if the deal is upheld by Iran.


https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-47362962

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif announces resignation on Instagram by Cole Griffin

Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, who played a key role in the 2015 nuclear deal, announced his resignation Monday. Deputy foreign ministry spokesman Sayyed Abbas Moussawi confirmed Zarif's resignation in an interview with Iran state media IRNA. Zarif was the key architect in the landmark deal aimed at reining in Iran's nuclear program. Zarif is well known in western circles. He was educated in the United States and speaks nearly flawless English. Zariff even got an education in the United States of America. He attended San Fransisco State University where he got his undergraduate and attended the University of Denver where he got his masters in international relations and also achieved his doctorate there as well. We will have to wait and see what happens in Iran now that Zarif has resigned. 


https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/25/middleeast/iran-foreign-minister-javad-zarif-resigns-intl/index.html

Emily Knutson: Trump-Kim: Don't Stop Believin' in a Successful Summit

Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un have been trying to come to an agreement to denuclearize Korea, but can't seem to agree one who comes up with what. Trump plans on capping the amount of nuclear weapons that can be made and taking down nuclear plants in North Korea, but Kim wants the U.S. to make some moves also. The nuclear plant Yongbyon is up for grabs, but it is also not as prosperous as it used to be. Some say that peace may be a more achievable goal than denuclearization. Many say the goal of the Trump-Kim summit is impossible. If Trump is right, and they really are "in love", then it should be a piece of cake.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-47327473

Federal Judge Rules Male only Draft is Unconstitutional

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/25/politics/male-only-draft-unconstitutional/index.html

US District Court Judge Gray Miller has ruled that a male only draft is unconstitutional. Back in the day when the first drafts were in progress it was said that women's situations were not similar to men. He claims that in the last 40 years the development of women's rights have been pushed so hard that not allowing them the opportunity to be drafted would be unfair. The issue is still in progress and the decision will be made in the near future.

Matthew Sheinfeld 

Trump to Delay Further Tariffs on Chinese Goods

President Trump has said that the US will delay further trade tariffs on Chinese goods. A rise in import duties on Chinese goods from 10% to 25% was due on March 1^st. President Trump said both sides had made "substantial progress" in trade talks. Trump also said that he was planning a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Florida to cement the trade deal if progress was made. China has committed to buying up to $1.2 trillion in US goods.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47352657

By: Matthew Rivera

Toxic Moonshine

India has had a scare with an illegal substance that has been killing everyone that comes in contact with it. The substance supposedly is a toxic moonshine that has been selling on the streets for almost to nothing. The people in the town refer to this drink as the "country made liquor". Almost 200 have die\d from this and even more put in the hospital. The officials can not pinpoint who is the accuser in this situation but they are taking action and have arrested 34 individuals for questioning.

Kaelyn Hill
https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/24/asia/india-alcohol-poisoning/index.html

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia finally appointed its first female ambassador to their council. She is in fact princess, she is a political figure in her country advocating for woman's rights throughout her kingdom. While her younger brother was in power she lived in the United States, Washington to be exact while attending George Washington. She is a woman dedicated to her country and what she believes in, she wants rights for everyone especially women everywhere.


Kaelyn Hill
https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/24/politics/saudi-appoints-us-ambassador/index.html

Trump postpones tariff increase on China in light of recent talks

The Trump administration is holding off on raising tariffs on China from 10 percent to 25 percent, which was scheduled to take effect on March 2nd. This signifies progress in trade negotiations between the U.S. and China, which has already cost U.S. businesses billions of dollars.

By: Ethan Mikolay

https://www.npr.org/2019/02/24/697562568/trump-suspends-china-tariff-hike-citing-progress-in-trade-talks

Ex-Soldier is Convicted of Violating Swiss Neutrality by Fighting ISIS

Former Swiss soldier Hanna Johannes Cosar who commanded a Christian militia fighting ISIS was found guilty of violating Swiss neutrality this past week. Cosar's case is a rare example of European countries punishing its citizens for fighting against as opposed to with jihadist forces in Syria and Iraq. However his punishment was a mere $500 fine.

By: Bry Walker

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/24/world/europe/switzerland-soldier-isis.html

Princess of Saudi Arabia Named Ambassador to the U.S. - Sam Glodoski

Saudi Arabia has recently named Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan as the country's new ambassador to the U.S., becoming the first Saudi woman to hold the title. This can be seen as a response to the tension between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia following the assassination of U.S. journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents. The change follows a recent pattern by Saudi Arabia's Prince Mohammed to promote greater freedom and equality in the country; the most notable of these changes granting women the right to drive. Princess Reema will be replacing former ambassador Prince Khalid bin Salman, who will now be serving as the deputy defense minister. This will not be her first time being affiliated with the U.S., as she attended George Washington University while her father, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, served as ambassador during the Bush administration.

-Sam Glodoski
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/23/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-princess-ambassador.html

3 people aboard cargo jet that crashed in Texas bay 'did not survive,' Atlas Air Worldwide announces

3 people aboard cargo jet that crashed in Texas bay 'did not survive,' Atlas Air Worldwide announces

Three people were tragically killed in the crash of a jet near Houston, Texas. The plane was contracted by Amazon and was set to fly from Miami to Houston. It crashed into Trinity Bay near Anahuac on Saturday afternoon around one. One of the bodies was recovered Saturday, but the other two passengers remained missing through the night. They were found Sunday, but they have not been positively identified by the medical examiner. Local law enforcement said on Saturday that it would be surprising to find any passengers alive. The tower was in contact with the plane until 12:39 on Saturday when all contact was lost. They had been informing the pilot of some inclement weather, and plane had begun its descent. According to the tower, no distress call was made. Video from the area showed the plane nose dive for five seconds. The black box is imperative for this investigation, which the FBI Field Office in Houston has taken over.

By Megan Saar
https://abcnews.go.com/US/cargo-jet-crashes-trinity-bay-anahuac-texas-officials/story?id=61262086&cid=clicksource_4380645_2_heads_hero_live_headlines_hed

President Macro's Gets his Popularity Back

As the yellow vest movement took France by storm, President Emmanuel Macron is recovering from months of popular pressure as his ratings are getting higher again. The movement began in November 2018, when Macro's policies were viewed as harsh by the people and a significant tax on diesel was implemented. Comparatively, the President deemed these tax increases necessary in order to combat climate change and protect the environment. When the protestors marched in  Les Champs Elysées and L'Arc De Triomphe, the government revisited its reforms and halted the increase. All of these changes took a toll on the approval ratings of the young President that many referred to as unfit to serve the needs of the people of France. Nonetheless, as of February 2019, "His popularity has crept higher since hitting 27 percent - the lowest point so far in his presidency - in December as protesters rampaged through central Paris and other cities smashing windows and burning cars." 

Read More: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2019-02-24/macrons-popularity-gains-as-yellow-vest-support-wanes-poll

Zohra Ouhabi

Venezuela Crisis: Who is buying its oil now?

The biggest buyers of oil for Venezuela, have been the US,  India and China.
But during the last decade, the oil production has been decresing, and with the political and economic crisis in place, is dragging the country out.

The US imposed high sanctions to Venezuela, a few of those are:
The sanctions blocked US companies doing bussiness with Venezuela  and they also had a big impact on the access to the chemicals that are required to process the oil.

There are tankers in the coast of Venezuela, waiting to be send off, but the main buyer of those was United States, so the Venezuelan governement is now hoping that India, its next biggest buyer could double the shipments but that idea, is not looking so good, as the exports to India has been droping as well as the ones to China.

The crisis in Venezuela its not only affecting the political side of the country but also the economic one, the sactions are going to continue hitting hard the country.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-47239060

By Mirna Solis Perez
 

ISIS now controls just a half of a square kilometer in Syria

Finally, it appears that the end of ISIS, the Islamic terrorist group, is underway with only half a square kilometer in Syria being controlled by them. At their peak, they controlled more than 10 million people, ruling over land the size of Great Britain. The Syrian Democratic Forces have since launched an attack on the small town of Baghouz Al-Fawqani, and have used the wives and children of the ISIS fighters as human shields. On the other hand, the United States faces strong criticism for the decision to remove troops from Syria. Still, president Trump and vice president Mike Pence claim that this action was not a change in mission, but a change in tactics to defeating this terrorist group.


By:Jocelyne Flores

Plane Hijacker in Bangladesh

Bangladesh forces storm in on a passenger airplane as an armed mane tried to hijack it. The flight was scheduled to land in Dubai but people say a 25 year old Bangladesh man armed and shot down by special forces when the flight took an emergency stop in Chittagong. There was 148 passengers on the plane officials say no one was harmed once people where evacuated army, navy, and police secured the airport. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/24/bangladesh-plane-hijacker-shot-dead-after-emergency-landing
By Cody Baldridge

Bolton cancels trip to South Korea to focus on Venezuela

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/22/americas/bolton-cancels-south-korea-trip-intl/index.html

John Bolton cancelled his trip to South Korea, citing his desire to focus on the situation in Venezuela. His trip was part of the preparations for the next summit with North Korea and President Trump. The tension in Venezuela is increasing as they are cutting diplomatic ties with Brazil and Colombia and not allowing foreign aid to enter the country. VP Mike Pence is planning a visit to Colombia to address nations about the situation in Venezuela. They are closing the borders with their neighbors to prevent foreign aid being delivered that has been waiting for weeks. Sadly, two people died in skirmishes on the border with Brazil over the aid delivery. Juan Guaido, the declared interim president, fled to Colombia. He claims some of the military made his escape possible, though the military remains largely loyal to Maduro. Many countries around the world and the region have recognized Juan Guaido as president of Venezuela. Barring foreign intervention, the Venezuelan military will be largely responsible for the course of the country in the near future. Also, the loyalty of the people is essential to Maduro staying in power. And with the situation worsening and no aid coming into the country, I would think he's going to lose favor with the public soon. Guaido has not said when he plans to return to Venezuela.

-Devin Carrier

China Delayed

On January 24th 2019 President Trump extended his own deadline to impose additional Tariffs on the Chinese. Negotiations on key issues such as American intellectual property rights have been compromised on. Even though improvements have been made no solidified agreements have been signed. The President hopes to sign an agreement sometime in March assuming the talks remain productive and beneficial. The tariffs would impose $200 billion on Chinese exports and the delay is an opportunity calm many financial markets

Joy Semafumu

Saudi Arabia appoints princess as ambassador to US

Saudi Arabia has appointed Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan as ambassador to the US. This is the first time a women has held this role. this comes after a push back from the US over the killing of Jamal Khashoggi and it seems this happened because of it. It also seems to be for a new sign of the kingdom's social reforms. Her father Prince Bandar bin Sultan served in the same role from 1983 til 2005 so she spent time in Washington because of his role. this seems to be fitting for the new freedoms Saudi women are gaining and now having a public figure to look towards pushes this new light for them. Katie Engel https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/23/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-princess-ambassador.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FInternational%20Relations&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=5&pgtype=collection

Hope Flynn-- Palestinian 'Moderate' Official Reportedly Compares Palestinian Refugee Camps To Nazi Camps

https://www.dailywire.com/news/43808/palestinian-moderate-official-reportedly-compares-hank-berrien

Thursday a comment made by a senior Palestinian official, Jibril Rajoub, was made public. He stated that Palestinians “have been living in camps similar to Nazi camps” showing either his extreme ignorance or lack of empathy for the millions killed in the Nazi concentration camps. It’s hard to argue that he is ignorant of the camps though given his high position in the government. This is not the first time that Rajoub has made anti-Semitic and anti-Israel comments. He has also made comments that “resistance to Israel remains on [Palestinian] agenda [and] resistance in all forms…is effective and costly to [Israel.]” However, Palestinian refugee camps reside outside of Israel and Palestinians have the most freedom in the middle east living in Israel. Many of them also join the Israeli military and hold high court and government positions. The Nazi death camps killed millions and to compare them to neighborhoods containing Palestinians outside of Israel is disgusting, ignorant, and unacceptable. 

Five takeaways from Manafort's sentencing memo

In this article, Elie Honig analyzes the sentencing memo of Paul Manafort, which was made publicly available on saturday by the Special Counsel's Office, and offers insight into the impact of this new report. Manafort was charged with lying to a number of law enforcement agencies as well as Congress, not to mention the numerous financial crimes he was charged with. Honig believes that the harsh nature of Manafort's sentence sends a message to others that justice will prevail.




https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/23/opinions/manafort-sentencing-memo-honig/index.html


Robin Czajowski

Kim Jong-un Takes Train for Vietnam Meeting with Trump

North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, left Pyongyang, the capital city of North Korea, by train on Saturday to Vietnam in order to meet with Mr. Trump for a second time. It is uncertain why Mr. Kim chose to travel 2,800 miles by train which is purposely passing by industrial cities in Southern China and Northern Vietnam, but some believe that Mr. Kim wants to learn from those two countries and overcome North Korea’s economic crisis.

Trump and Kim will continue working together to build “new” relations between their countries towards peace and a complete denuclearization of North Korea. In exchange, the United States and partners are ready to explore how to invest in North Korea’s infrastructure and secure food in order to achieve economic development. Kim also wants the reduction of its sanctions. However, it is important that the two countries agree about the meaning of a “complete denuclearization” of the Korean Peninsula. Since the last meeting, North Korea has suspended all nuclear and missiles testing but has not completed denuclearization, which is precisely what Washington wants: to freeze North Korea’s nuclear and missiles programs and make them get rid of all its nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction.

The only problem at the moment is that Mr. Kim says he will only consider denuclearization if the U.S removes all troops from South Korea, and also removes from a range of North Korea all of America’s long-range bombers and another nuclear-capable military. South Korea is not happy about this deal because they claim its sovereignty as a country and its alliances should not be put on the table for negotiations between Trump and Kim.        

Kim Jong-un Takes Train for Vietnam Meeting with Trump

By: Lupita Turriff

133 Killed in India From Toxic Moonshine

After consuming toxic alcohol, 133 people have died along with more than 200 others who were hospitalized. However, these type of incidents aren't new. For years India has been battling to control illegal alcohol, which is much cheaper and accessible to those who are impoverished. In 2011, a batch of illegal liquor killed 168 people. Even more recently in 2015, over 100 people died from drinking the toxic moonshine. These types of alcohol are often a third of the price of legally brewed liquor, therefore putting those who are poor at a much greater risk.

Link to article: https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/24/asia/india-alcohol-poisoning/index.html

Posted by Kaitlin Pritchard

White House manages expectations for second Kim summit

By: Iselin Brady

US President, Donald Trump, will have another summit with Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea. Trump has said that this meeting will continue the progress begun during their first summit last year. For the past few months, North Korea has not tested any nuclear weapons, which Trump says is a sign of agreement between the two countries. Because of this, he has declared that he is in no rush, saying the threat has largely been eliminated. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, has said that, while the threat has certainly declined, it still is present, showing the importance of this meeting. Others have expressed concerns, saying President Trump needs to be careful what he offers North Korea in exchange for denuclearization.
It will be interesting to see if any results come from the two leaders meeting for a second time. Additionally, the US must continue to monitor North Korea’s actions, especially to validify any future claims that they have made significant steps to denuclearization.

https://www.apnews.com/0e7c8f71fe084dd3beaf9704135384f9

Venezuela crisis: President Maduro's 'days numbered'- Maria Clara Ospina

Venezuela finds itself on fire. This weekend, a live aid event was hosted where the world watched many artist at the border of Venezuela and Colombia. The event collected thousands of materials, from diapers all the way to canned food to be send to the people inside of Venezuela who now find themselves in a humanitarian crisis. The sounds of artists and songs lifted a sentiment of hope up in the air, it gave Venezuelans and Colombians a sense of security. However, Maduro blocked all of the humanitarian aid from entering the country; which has woken up a roar. The opposition is out on the streets fighting the police and the military. Guaido has asked for aid from all nations to help the oust of Maduro. Venezuela is on fire and the world is watching.

-Maria Clara Ospina

Source:  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-47348293
written by: Mike Pompeo

North Korea is starving

North Korea is running out of food due to lack of farming resources and natural disasters. North Korea is in a state of emergency and is asking for neighboring countries' help for food. Compared to 2017, the country has produced a significantly lower amount of food due to heavy rainfall and sanctions.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/north-korea/top-north-korean-official-says-his-country-faces-major-food-n973361

posted by Milia Harris

Are we still in Danger??? -Corinthian

Corinthian Fields

In this current event for this week i want to talk about how North Korea is still a threat to our country. And that’s because our good ole pal Mr. Donald Trump, if you don’t know or you are not familiar with why they our rivalry, months ago Donald Trump threaten North Korea that he will send missles and kill everyone over there! Why? I’m not sure why would he do such a thing but that is what happens when you don’t have a good lease in place he put us in danger based off his stupidity. Trump decided to post two tweets explaining the meeting with very well with North Korea’s leader and that he wasn’t as bad as after all, he also took in place to explain in the second tweet the only reason he said the thing he said was because President Barack Obama lead him on to make him think that they was our worse enemy and not to trust them. So basically what he is trying to do is blame Obama for his mistakes and saying the reason he did what he did is because Obama didn’t give him nothing but a bad impression. I don’t like the fact that he is not taking responsibility for this issue and i don’t think he knows all alone in my opinion this leader is tricking him and giving him everything he wants to hear and will give us a suprise attack, it takes time to plan attack’s on us because we have advanced systems and it’ll be hard to overcome us because of that reason and he is just getting a feel for Trump to learn how he move and operate and he will take an advantage. The point of this article is to let us all know even though Trump says everything is fine , don’t trust it because North Korea’s leader didn’t publicly announce it and we need to stay awake.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/24/politics/mike-pompeo-trump-north-korea-cnntv/index.html?no-st=1551030792

Yellow Vests: The Irony of Transnational Nationalism

Natalie James writes about the yellow vest protests in France that has influenced English people of the UK by promoting the ideology of anti-multiculturalism or anything related to embracing other cultures or accepting immigrants. The ideology of self-sustaining rather than trying to appease and embrace the global market.

https://www.fairobserver.com/region/europe/yellow-vests-movement-gilets-jaunes-protests-france-uk-nationalism-europe-news-12611/

Shivam Rana

Venezuelan soldiers abandon posts at Colombia border

Posted by Olivia Acanfora


The President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro has said that the Venezuelan border with Colombia is partly closed to stop foreign aid from getting into the country. As a result, there have been Venezuelan protestors at the border, begging the soldiers to let aid through. Some of the soldiers have abandoned their posts and have shifted their support from Maduro to the opposition leader Guaido. Guaido has welcomed the soldiers with open arms stating "welcome to the right side of history", and has promised them amnesty.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-47343918

Environmental Activist Murdered in Mexico City

Environmental Activist Murdered in Mexico City

By: Reagan Quynn

Sami Flores Soberanes was an environmental  activist and journalist in Mexico. Details surrounding his murder are still unclear, but he was shot in the head twice, and many believe it was because of his public opposition to the development of a pipeline in Mexico that activists fear will contaminate water. This would greatly affect indigenous communities in the surrounding area. Many people joined Sami’s friends and family to celebrate his life and mourn his death. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-47342075?ocid=socialflow_twitter

Billionaires connected to sex trafficking

It was made public on Friday that the owner of the New England Patriots Robert Kraft is accused of soliciting prostitution. On two occasions he visited a shady establishment in a strip mall called Orchids of Asia Day Spa. There is video evidence of Kraft paying women who lived at the spa to preform sexual acts. The legal system regarding this matter is in limbo until Monday. Kraft wasn’t the only billionaire charged with soliciting prostitution, John W. Childs who is CEO of J.W. Childs Associates is also connected to and charged with the same crime. Not only were these two men connected but over 100 others were issued arrest warrants. Something else of note that the article brings up is that it’s unusual for the ‘johns’ to get arrested. Johns being the people paying for act or service. Usually it’s the prostitutes or the person running the brothel that gets arrested. These girls have been living at the spa and were involved in a sex trafficking ring. Its possible that these girls are undocumented and involved in the illicit market. This connects to human rights violations we’ve been talking about in class. I’m speculating about some of the above, but we’ll learn more as events unfold.  

Written by David Pate

Source: https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/robert-kraft-patriots-soliciting-sex/h_726c380f8e95147f8a717993d2d0f2b1

Emily Knutson: Venezuela Crisis: Border Clashes as Aid Row Intensifies

As inflation raises the prices of basic commodities, the Venezuelan people grow restless. Other countries have offered aid, but President Maduro has taken a strong stance against that. He has shut down the border that Venezuela shares with Brazil and threatens to shut down the Colombian border as well. Protesters are organizing a concert to bring attention to the economic crisis and to try to convince Maduro to accept the aid. President Maduro threatens to, pettily, hold a rival concert, the "Hands off Venezuela" concert, on the same day. These actions taken by Maduro are insane. A president is supposed to take care of his people and make sure the greater good is served. The borders are closing over aid- this is unlike anything else we have seen.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-47329806

Trump to Visit Japan

In the article "Trump to visit Japan twice in months after after North Korea summit," written by Ben Westcott for CNN details how President Trump plans to visit Japan in the upcoming months. First, Trump will have a formal visit to Tokyo, Japan in May following the crowning of the 126th Emperor Naruhito who is currently the prince of Japan. Following this Trump will again visit to attend G20 in Osaka in June. These plans concur with the upcoming summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, which will occur in Hanoi in the upcoming week. Recently Trump discussed with the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe the North Korean nuclear development. Abe expressed concern of Japanese abductees during this discussion with Trump. Since being in office Trump has established a pretty close relationship with Prime Minister Abe. In fact, Japan was the first Asian country Trump visited following his being sworn into office. It will be interesting to see if Trump comes through on discussing the Japanese abductees in the upcoming summit, especially due to the close relationship between Trump and Abe.

Link: https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/20/asia/japan-trump-abe-visit-intl/index.html

Alyssa Dahnke

The French church has silenced women

Multiple women have stepped forward to explain that the priest has sexually abused and manipulated them. The women explained that they could not and did not see him as a predator. Although they knew the act was wrong and although they rejected him initially, the priest abused his power and authority and coerced these women to have sex with him. The pope has released a statement and has supported the young, abused women.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/20/europe/catholic-france-order-women-abuse-intl/index.html

posted by Milia Harris

Bernie Sanders Announces Second US Presidential Bid

Bernie Sanders is running for a second time to try to become the President of the United States. He is an independent who runs as a Democrat. Bernie Sanders is one of the best known names to join the list of Democratic candidates. Early polls suggest he is far ahead of the other candidates. Bernie’s ideas for universal government-provided healthcare, a $15 national minimum wage and free college education attracted young voters and raised millions of dollars in small donations. These ideas are now a focus of the Democratic party.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46965281

By: Matthew Rivera